It hasn’t rained in Fresno in nearly six months. That could change this week

Fresno may get its first rain since late May.

Cold air in Southern California is expected to bring some precipitation to the central San Joaquin Valley on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

It would mark the third-latest start to the local wet season since 1881. In 1923, the first rain of the season happened on Nov. 30. In 1995, rain didn’t fall until Dec. 11, according to the NWS.

The rainfall totals are expected to be small – just a tenth of an inch in Fresno – but temperatures are expected to drop close to 20 degrees.

On Monday, the high is expected to be 79 degrees, close to a record high for the date, according to Bill South, a meteorologist with the NWS.

By Wednesday, high temperatures are expected to sink to 59 degrees.

“It’ll be noticeable,” South says.

There could be slightly more rain in the foothills – as much as a half-inch – and higher up, and a winter storm watch has been called for mountains in the Kern County and the southern Sierra Nevada. There could be 6 to 9 inches of snowfall along the Pacific Crest Trail.

While this won’t be a long, drenching rain, it won’t be without impact, according to the NWS. Hikers, campers and anyone planning to travel into the mountains should prepare for snow and winter driving conditions above 6,000 feet in the southern Sierra and above 5,000 feet in the Tehachapi mountains.

Additionally, wet roads will be slick after months of oil buildup, South said.

“Make sure you exercise more caution than you normally would.”

And if there is enough precipitation, fog could follow. Foggy conditions were reported in outlying areas Monday morning by the California Highway Patrol.

This story was originally published November 17, 2019 at 6:00 PM.