Cold storm moves into Fresno and Valley. Forecasters say to take precautions for weather
The central San Joaquin Valley saw its first measurable rain in more than a month Tuesday, and Fresno and the surrounding areas could see storms and snow, according to meteorologists.
The coming weather is mostly going to lead to cold nights and not much rain, according to the National Weather Service in Hanford. Meteorologists measured a tenth of an inch of rain in early morning readings in Hanford — the first since Jan. 16, according to forecasters.
Fresno had not registered precipitation during the same time, according to meteorologist David Spector, but it’s on the way.
“Radar is showing showers in the area,” he said. “It’s basically a cold storm, not a very wet one.”
A cold unstable body of air in the region means a chance for thunderstorms throughout the state, especially Tuesday night and early Wednesday, forecasters say.
The Fresno area was forecast to have thunderstorms in the afternoon, which will likely taper off through the evening. No more than a tenth of an inch is expected, Spector said.
Snow was expected in the foothills starting around 2,500 feet on Tuesday, and as far down as about 1,000 feet through Wednesday morning, forecasters say. Spector said the higher elevations could see as much as 4 inches and the lower foothills could see 2.
Fresno was forecast to reach about 32 degrees Tuesday night, and the Valley is expected to hit lows in the high 20s on Wednesday night, he said.
Be prepared to cover sensitive, exposed vegetation and outdoor plumbing, forecasters said. Keep pets indoors if possible, especially if they are sensitive to the cold weather due to age, illness or breed.
As much as 2 inches could fall over the Grapevine Tuesday night. There could be 3 to 6 inches of snow falling overnight on Highway 58 in the south Valley, meteorologists say.
This story was originally published February 22, 2022 at 10:45 AM.
