Rain and gusty winds returning to Valley, snow in Sierra. New storm system on horizon
Rain is expected to return to the Fresno area and central San Joaquin Valley on Thursday afternoon, to be followed by another storm next week.
The heaviest rain in Fresno should fall late afternoon-to-evening Thursday, with most rainfall expected to cease after sunset, said meteorologist Brian Ochs with the National Weather Service at Hanford.
More snow is also expected to fall Thursday in the adjacent Sierra Nevada at 4,000 feet and higher – anywhere from several inches at snowline to one-to-two feet above 6,000 feet, Ochs said.
The National Weather Service has a wind advisory in place into Thursday night, with the gustiest breezes expected along the westside of the Valley, including Interstate 5. Kettleman City in Kings County had gusts at 40-45 mph.
Ochs said winds in Fresno could be around 30 mph, and that Thursday’s storms could bring a quarter to a half inch of rain to the city.
Rainfall totals so far are below average for Fresno. The city received 0.22 inches of rain since Jan. 1 – below the normal of about 1.09 inches by Jan. 15, Ochs said early Thursday afternoon.
The foothills are likely to get a little more rain, expected between half an inch to an inch, mostly from Mariposa County to Tulare County. Less rain is expected in the south Valley, with a tenth to a quarter possible in the Bakersfield area, Ochs said.
The Valley might get some fog this weekend, with another storm system and chance for rain rolling in next week, likely by late Tuesday or early Wednesday, Ochs said.
This story was originally published January 16, 2020 at 12:51 PM with the headline "Rain and gusty winds returning to Valley, snow in Sierra. New storm system on horizon."
