Friday was Fresno’s hottest day of 2021. Can region expect cooler temperatures and rain?

After the driest February in 50 years, March got off to a warm start in Fresno, including two days of nearly 80-degree temperatures.

According to the National Weather service, the temperature on Friday peaked at 76 degrees, nearly 20 degrees warmer than the seasonal norm and the hottest day so far this year.

The temperature was 10 degrees cooler Saturday and is expected to drop further as a storm enters the region Tuesday.

NWS is predicting anywhere from 0.25 to 0.5 inches of rain beginning Tuesday night through Wednesday, which would be relatively significant, given that Fresno saw just 0.29 inches of rain in February.

The bulk of the rain is expected for Wednesday, with possible thunderstorms in afternoon and early evening.

This cold storm is coming in from the out of the Gulf of Mexico and will likely bring snow in the area, as well. Snow levels are expected at 4,000 to 4,500 feet and could drop as low as 2,500 feet on Wednesday, the NWS says.

Shaver Lake could see up to 18 inches of snow over the two days.

This will impact travel over the mountains and foothills.

The weather service is calling unsettled conditions on Thursday — “cool and blustery day with scattered, mainly mountain showers“ — with dry weather returning for next weekend.