Atmospheric river storm rolls into Fresno and Valley; rain, high winds carry risk
The latest atmospheric river storm started to move into the Fresno region Saturday night, with the National Weather Service in Hanford predicting strong winds among other effects Sunday.
A wind advisory said gusts up to 45 mph could occur across much of the central San Joaquin Valley and included a high wind warning of gusts of 60 mph along the Valley’s western edge.
The advisory was upgraded Sunday morning to include the high wind warning for the west side hills.
During the wind event, the NWS cautions, large trucks and tractor trailers should be avoided. Drivers should make sure to keep both hands on the steering wheel and to slow down.
The wind advisory was expected to expire at 10 p.m.
Weather update
The NWS said as of late Sunday afternoon that Fresno had received a half-inch of rain since the storm started Saturday night.
Meteorologist Jim Bagnall said rainfall will continue into Monday.
Strong gusty winds were recorded throughout the central San Joaquin Valley, with the strongest in the Merced area at 64 mph.
Fresno-area winds were gusting to 30 mph, Bagnall said.
Madera County evacuation warning
Deputies in Madera County issued an evacuation warning in one area of the county ahead of the storm because of the high amount of rainfall expected from the atmospheric river.
The warning for Zone 431 (Cavin Lane, Mattie Fhy Road, and Holly Lane) remained in place as of Sunday morning, with residents urged to continue to monitor conditions throughout the day.
The warning, posted Saturday, stated heavy rain could severely impact the zone where “last year, winter storms left the area at high risk for further mud slides.”
The storm is expected to linger from Saturday night into Tuesday morning, with the heaviest rainfall likely to come Sunday.
This story was originally published February 4, 2024 at 11:28 AM.
