Sunny weekend predicted, but how much more rain is coming to Fresno? Storm on horizon

Thaddeus Miller
·2 min read

Rain is forecast for the Fresno area after the weekend, but it is expected to be even lighter than the most recent storms to visit the region, meteorologists say.

Precipitation has been predicted to fall primarily Monday and may continue into Tuesday, but it’s unlikely to reach a quarter-inch, according to David Spector, a meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Hanford.

“It’s going to be a weak system,” he said Friday. “Most of the system is to our north.”

Fresno and the San Joaquin Valley may see only 0.1 inches of rain through the end of the storm, he said. The foothills were predicted to see as much as a half-inch.

Fresno and the Valley were forecast for highs in the mid-60s and lows in the lower 40s for the next week, he said.

The highs for the weekend are about 5 degrees warmer than normal with sunny skies, meteorologists say.

Snow levels may drop to about 5,000 feet by Monday night, the weather service said.

Rainfall predicted in Fresno and the Valley last weekend was forecast to bring as much as 2 inches to the area in three storms over about a week, but the region saw about half as much rain, Spector said.

The system wasn’t as strong as predicted, he said, with most of the moisture ending up farther south and the vertical motion of the storm splitting off from the moisture north of the Valley.

Highway to coast to close

More than 8 miles of Highway 41 north of Kettleman City between Nevada and Quail avenues will close in both directions starting Monday, the California Department of Transportation said.

The work is expected to keep the highway closed for five months, and unforeseen weather could make that longer, Caltrans said.

Highway 41 near Kettleman City is a common route for people from the Fresno area who are headed to the coast for destinations like Pismo Beach, Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo.

Caltrans recommended commuters use a detour at Highway 198 in the Lemoore area to reach Interstate 5, which connects to Highway 41 south of the road work in Kettleman City.