Rain expected in Fresno through next week. Here’s what to expect on New Year’s Eve

While the Fresno area is coming off record high temperatures for late December, things look a bit bleak, weather wise, going into 2024.

Ahead of New Year’s Eve weekend, the National Weather Service has:

• issued a winter weather advisory for the Sierra Nevada above 6,000 feet, where snow accumulations could reach 6 to 12 inches in most locations. There is a 96% chance Bass Lake will see 4 inches or more by Monday.
• issued a wind advisory for the western part of the San Joaquin Valley with surface winds reaching or exceeding 30 knot (or 35-ish mph) in some areas.

The weather service is also calling for widespread rain starting Friday night.

Areas of the the San Joaquin Valley north of Kern County could pick up as much as a half-inch to an inch. Isolated thunderstorms aren’t being ruled out for the bulk of the area.

The storm should pass before Sunday, making for a clear New Year’s Eve, though some spots could get patchy fog in the morning, the weather service said.

Another set of low pressure systems will move across California starting New Year’s Day through the middle of next week.

Current forecasts show light amounts of rain in Fresno on Wednesday, according to the weather service.