Temperatures to dip below normal as storms move in through weekend

Temperatures in the San Joaquin Valley and mountain areas can be expected to dip between 5 and 10 degrees below normal from Saturday until Tuesday, as storms move into the area beginning Friday, the National Weather Service in Hanford said.

Clouds have moved in as of Thursday, ahead of the first storm which is expected to pass over Fresno after 11 a.m. Friday. The storm will weaken as it moves over Central California, the weather service said, and rainfall will be on the light side. The greatest chance of rain will be Sunday night, with a tenth of an inch to a quarter of an inch possible in the Fresno area. Temperatures will stay in the mid-to-high 70s throughout the weekend, with Fresno dropping to a high of 71 degrees on Monday.

The Southern Sierra from Yosemite to Kings Canyon National Park will see the highest amount of precipitation, between a fifth of an inch and three-quarters of an inch on Friday and up to two inches by Sunday night. Snow levels will start at 10,000 feet but drop to 9,000 feet by Saturday morning, with possible snow accumulation along Tioga Pass, the weather service said.

A few light showers will pass through the valley floor on Saturday morning, but very little will reach areas south of Fresno County. Monday will see a slight chance of rain, with clouds clearing by that night.

Normal conditions will return on Tuesday, and Thursday will see temperatures a few degrees above normal for mid-October, the weather service said.

This story was originally published October 13, 2016 at 4:39 PM with the headline "Temperatures to dip below normal as storms move in through weekend."