Did it snow in the Valley last night? More cold rain, wind coming to Fresno, experts say
A number of residents of the central San Joaquin Valley reported seeing frozen rain in the latest Fresno-area storm but there wasn’t enough accumulated to call it snow, meteorologists said Thursday morning.
Reports came in from areas like Porterville and Laton of frozen precipitation, but it was mostly a mix of rain, hail and graupel, according to Antoinette Serrato, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Hanford.
Fresno saw a short burst of heavier rain around 6 p.m. Wednesday that also included hail, she said.
Rainfall was heavier in the southern part of the Valley towards Bakersfield, but there was also no significant snow, according to the weather service.
More cold rain was expected late Thursday in Fresno. That’s up to a quarter-inch, and Friday night has a 100% chance of rain that could reach a half-inch or more, Serrato said.
China Peak at Huntington Lake in the eastern Fresno County mountains reported almost two feet of snow overnight.
Yosemite Valley, Tioga Pass and Mammoth Lakes are projected to see about 3 feet of snow through Saturday.
More gusty winds
The service issued a Wind Advisory for Thursday night through Friday, with gusts up to 25 mph and 35 mph, she said.
While those may not be as high as the 54 mph recorded Tuesday at Fresno Air Terminal, they have the potential to bring down more trees and power poles.
Thousands of users lost power Tuesday as trees were toppled around Fresno and Clovis.
With trees already pummeled by high winds Tuesday, they may not stand up to a second wave of gusts and soft wet ground, Serrato said.
“There might be a chance for power outages,” she said. “Be prepared for freezing winds.”
Rain is in the forecast through Saturday with a break for some sun on Sunday, but more rain is possible as the night turns into Monday.
Rain, hail and graupel
Hail and graupel have some similarities and may seem like the same thing to the layperson, but they get to a frozen stage in different ways.
Graupel is pellets of cooled water droplets, and hail can start as graupel but continue to add freezing water to its surface, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Hail has to be at least 0.2 inches.
Serrato said hail is typically rougher around the edges and clearer than the smoother and whiter graupel.
This story was originally published February 23, 2023 at 10:17 AM.
