It’s sunny in Fresno, and rain is on the way. Yes, rain
April showers bring May flowers, right?
Well, Fresno hasn’t quite seen the last of the spring rain showers.
Starting Thursday afternoon, there’s a chance rain could hit Fresno and much of the San Joaquin Valley floor, according to the National Weather Service. Rain is most likely on Friday, with a 60 percent chance, along with thunderstorms. Forecasters expect the wet weather to clear up by Sunday.
“It’s not very typical to get a pattern like we’re about to get,” said Brian Oches, a meteorologist with the Weather Service in Hanford.
Fresno could receive anywhere from one-tenth of an inch to a quarter of an inch of rain, he said.
Temperatures will hover around the low 80s and mid 70s, and even after the rain clears up will remain around average or slightly below average for this time of year, Oches said.
The last time Fresno received rain in May was 2016.
The higher elevations, such as Yosemite, are likely to see more rain than the Valley floor — up to half an inch on Friday. The Merced River in Yosemite at the Pohono Bridge may rise close to its flood stage, but water levels aren’t likely to breach the flood stage, Oches said.
The storm system is set to develop in this area and then head west and hang around off the coast of California.