Rain, wind, lightning and tornadoes? Fresno weather runs the gamut for Christmas
Heavy thunderstorms and high winds were forecast for Christmas Eve as rainfall sweeps through the San Joaquin Valley, according to meteorologists.
The National Weather Service in Hanford issued a warning Tuesday for the marginal risk for thunderstorms later in the day on Christmas Eve, which could see winds of 30-40 mph and comes with a low but potential chance of lightning.
The winds, which could also see gusts up to 60 mph, were forecast to be more pronounced in Madera, Merced and Mariposa counties than in areas farther south like Fresno, according to meteorologist JP Kalb.
Parts of the Valley near Bakersfield could also see high winds of about 20-30 mph.
Kalb said Fresno and its surrounding areas are forecast for rain of about 2 to 3.5 inches from Christmas Eve through around Saturday morning.
“We are having what we call an atmospheric river and low pressure is driving in, and it’s drawing in a lot of moisture from the Pacific,” he said. “Since there’s a lot of moisture in this system moving through, it’s got very high rain amounts.”
As the Valley gets rain, snow was expected to begin falling overnight and reach as low as 6,000 feet in the mountains during the day on Christmas Eve, Kalb said.
Between the snow and heavier rainfall, rivers and streams could see some flooding, Kalb said. The service issued a flood watch through Friday for much of the Valley.
Highs for the Fresno area were forecast for the low 60s on Wednesday, but expected to creep down to the mid-50s by the end of the rainfall, Kalb said.
The service said Tuesday afternoon forecasters see a small probability (2%) of tornadoes on Wednesday.
“This is a very rare event for us even when not in winter,” the service wrote on X.
This story was originally published December 24, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
