More rain on the way in the Valley and snow in the mountains. What you need to know
More wet weather heads to the Valley this week as one storm ends Monday and another lands Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
Much of the central San Joaquin Valley woke up to steady showers Sunday and the same was expected for Monday with the tail-end of a storm passing through the Valley.
On Sunday, about .09 inches landed in the Valley between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. There is a 70 percent chance of similar showers on Monday and a chance for another half inch of rain by the time the storm ends.
Chances of rain start to decrease to about 20 percent by Monday evening as the storm finishes its path. A pause on the rain is expected until late Tuesday when a second storm sweeps through, the Weather Service reported.
The second storm will continue at least until Wednesday with an 80 percent chance of rain. A chance of sunny skies is forecast for most of Thursday.
“It’s a very active pattern right now and that looks like it’s going to remain the same,” Jim Anderson, National Weather Service Hanford meteorologist, said. “This pattern will stay busy.”
The wet weather is expected to stay mostly north of Fresno, according to Anderson.
He said the Merced area will see an equal weather pattern and just as much rain as Fresno in the week ahead. Nighttime temperatures could fall as low as 47 degrees in the Fresno and Merced areas.
“The farther north of our area, the more rain,” Anderson added.
Similarly, in higher elevations, snow levels are expected to hold steady. In Yosemite National Park, about 1 to 2 feet of snow is expected into Monday.
The current storm is warmer than the previous, so snow levels were not expected to drop as much as they did last week under the colder storm. Anderson said snow will come down as low as 7,000 in some parts.
A flood watch was in effect for communities including Mariposa, Auberry, Shaver Lake and Oakhurst. CalTrans encourages drivers to use chains if traveling on mountains highways, including Highway 41, 168 and 180.
The agency was not reporting major road closures, but did warn of roadway flooding along Highway 99 near Cleveland Avenue and Avenue 16 in Madera.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park officials announced Sunday that Highway 198 was reopened after snow blanketed the entrance to the park. Visitors to the park were asked to plan ahead, since conditions could change.
This story was originally published December 1, 2019 at 11:53 AM.
