Tuesday’s storm was some good drought news for Fresno area. But long-term, not so much

Another storm headed to the central San Joaquin Valley Wednesday evening is expected to keep the region ahead of normal rainfall totals, but long-term prospects for a drought-busting season are dim, according to the National Weather Service.

A winter storm warning is in place in the Sierra Nevada as the front moves in, and the weather service is forecasting moderate to heavy snow from Yosemite to Kings Canyon national parks. Rainfall is on the way to the valley floor, as well, but not the gully-washer that swamped Fresno streets Tuesday, said David Spector, a meteorologist at the weather service in Hanford.

Spector added that the bulk of the incoming weather is expected to hit north of Fresno and the city will likely receive only one-third to two-thirds of an inch of rain. That’s nothing like the 1.29 inches that poured on Fresno Tuesday. The Sierra snowfall will be 3 to 4 feet, he added.

Weather service data show that October kicked off the region’s traditional rainfall season with the fourth-wettest month since 2000 as 1.27 inches fell, compared to 2.45 inches in 2000 and 2004. In 2009, the number was 1.39 inches.

But Spector said the weather service is still forecasting dry months in January through March of 2022, so there’s not reason to raise end-of-drought hopes yet.