Hanford, CA – The National Weather Service in Hanford has issued a Freeze Watch for portions of Kern County, including Mojave, Tehachapi, and Edwards Air Force Base, from 7 p.m. Monday, December 1, through 9 a.m. Tuesday, December 2. Forecasters warn that subfreezing temperatures are increasingly likely as cold air sweeps into Central California.
According to the NWS, an upper-level low pressure trough moving through the western United States will allow colder air from the northwest to spill into the region. Forecast models show a 60% to 70% probability of minimum temperatures dropping below 32°F across the Kern Desert, with some localized areas possibly falling into the upper 20s.
Residents are urged to take precautions to protect sensitive plants, pets, and exposed pipes from the potential freeze. Subfreezing conditions could also impact agriculture and outdoor water systems, particularly in low-lying desert valleys and rural communities.
Areas west of the Tehachapi Mountains—including parts of the southern San Joaquin Valley near Avenal and Taft—may also see overnight temperatures approaching freezing, though the highest risk remains east of Bakersfield and south toward Mojave.
Forecasters expect temperatures to rebound slightly by midweek before another potential cold system approaches later in the week.
