Saturday brings rain to Fresno, Valley. What do skies hold in store for Easter Sunday?
Residents in Fresno and the central San Joaquin Valley awoke Saturday to gray skies and wet streets as a storm system moved across central California.
But the weather was expected to clear up and bring clear skies and warmer temperatures to the Valley on Easter Sunday, according to forecaster Brian Ochs with the National Weather Service office in Hanford.
Saturday’s storm began dropping rain on the Valley floor early in the morning. “So far, it’s just a trace, nothing measurable as of now,” Ochs told The Fresno Bee early Saturday. “But some places may be getting more rain,” depending on which clouds passed over them. Rainfall was expected to persist until late Saturday morning or early afternoon. The high temperature on Saturday was forecast at about 70 degrees, slightly lower than the seasonal average of 74 degrees for April 16.
The heaviest rain through about 8 a.m. was from Madera northward, Ochs added. The foothills and mountains were also getting some rainfall, but snowfall was not expected at elevations below 7,000 feet.
A winter weather advisory for the Sierra Nevada for elevations above 6,000 feet went into effect at 5:30 a.m. Saturday through late Saturday afternoon. The advisory warned of four to eight inches of snow, with the prospect of isolated areas of Mariposa and eastern Madera counties receiving up to 13 inches of snow.
Additionally, a high-wind warning was in place until Saturday evening for the east side of the southern Sierra Nevada range in Kern County, where westerly winds were expected to reach sustained speeds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts near 60 mph.
Sunny Easter and more rain?
Sunny skies are expected to return on Sunday, with the afternoon high forecast at 78 degrees for Easter, Ochs said. The forecast for Monday is also 78 degrees and sunny.
Another system may come through the region Tuesday morning, bringing a slight chance of showers into the afternoon for the Valley north of Fresno before clearing for Wednesday and Thursday.
A more significant prospect for moist weather will come late in the week, with a system Friday having the potential to drop as much as a quarter-inch of rain, Ochs said. While the Valley floor could see some rain, “most of the precipitation will be in the Sierra and the foothills,” he added. “The foothills may see up to three-quarters of an inch of rain, and snow levels may get down to 5,500 or 6,000 feet.”
This story was originally published April 16, 2022 at 9:09 AM.
