Strong upper-level ridging off the coast of California is currently dominating the weather pattern, bringing widespread sunshine but also a lack of precipitation. The one exception is in the state's Central Valley, where locked-in fog has kept temperatures chilly and skies gray. More on that in a minute...

High pressure in the upper levels of the atmosphere means sinking, compressing air, and generally warmer temperatures. On Tuesday, multiple record high temperatures were set, including 84° in Anaheim!

High temperature records up and down the western third of the country could fall through the weekend, as the upper-level ridge is forecasted to stubbornly remain in place over the coming days!

Tule Fog

You may have noticed the persistent fog in the Central Valley, or even the much colder temperatures compared to the rest of the state. This fog is known as Tule (TOO-lee) Fog, and is somewhat common in the winter months. It's a radiational fog that occurs overnight, gets locked into the Central Valley (sometimes the Bay Area), and is beneficial to California's agricultural industry. However, with high pressure in the upper levels of the atmosphere not going anywhere lately, the Tule Fog has been incredibly persistent.

The fog is making a huge difference in temperatures! Early Wednesday afternoon, Bakersfield was sitting under gray skies and a temperature of 42°. At the same time, over the Grapevine and into the valleys, temperatures were pushing into the upper 80s with blue skies!