How much rain will we get? What to expect Saturday and this weekend in Fresno, the Valley
The first of three storms started dumping rain on Fresno and the San Joaquin Valley on Saturday morning.
So how much rain have we gotten? And how much will we get as these storms continue to roll in throughout the weekend and Monday?
As of 1 p.m. Saturday, the first round of rain brought 0.63 inches to Fresno over about six hours, according to the National Weather Service.
The Fresno area was forecast to get between an inch and an inch and a half by the end of Saturday, said Antoinette Serrato, a meteorologist with the weather service in Hanford.
“About half of that has fallen as of right now,” she said. “It will probably continue to fall throughout the night.”
Clovis was expected to get slightly more rain than Fresno, with an additional inch expected to fall later Saturday.
The forecast also includes a chance of isolated thunderstorms across the Valley, especially between noon and 6 p.m. Saturday. That could bring cloud-to-ground lighting, small hail, flooding, and high winds.
By the time all three atmospheric rivers have passed through the area Monday, the Fresno area could log between 1.5 and 2.5 inches of rain, the NWS said.
Merced and the mountains
As of midday Saturday, 0.4 inches of rain had fallen in Merced.
When it comes to the rest of Saturday, “Merced is thankfully expected to get less precipitation than we are in Fresno,” Serrato said.
By the end of the day, the Merced area could get almost an inch of rain.
The foothills were getting more rain than the Valley floor.
Mariposa was expected to get 2 to 3 inches of rain Saturday. Shaver Lake and Grant Grove in Kings Canyon National Park were forecast to get 3 to 4 inches.
Snow is expected to fall as low as 5,000 feet, with two to four feet expected.
The National Weather Service is warning against travel in the mountains.
“We’re basically recommending that people who do want to travel in the mountain areas, that they delay their travel plans,” Serrato said. “If they absolutely can’t, they should have alternative routes in mind.”
They should also prepare for an emergency, bringing blankets, food, water, a flashlight and other supplies with them.
On the Valley floor, drivers are advised against driving through standing water.
“People shouldn’t be crossing flooded roadways, flooded intersections,” Serrato said. “It’s a very small amount of water that’s needed to stall a car, and even to wash it away.”
