Accidents abound in rainy weather

Sunday should be sunny and clear by noon with a high near 61, kicking off what is forecast to be a mild week. Patchy fog in the morning, however, will be a reminder of Saturday’s rain, as will the damaged fronts of two buildings hit by skidding vehicles. Shortly after noon Saturday a pickup slammed into the former home of the Prospect Theater Project. The white Chevrolet was traveling in the 500 block of Scenic Drive when the driver lost control while passing another car, Modesto police said. The pickup skidded off the rain-slicked roadway and crashed into the front of the empty building. The collision broke a large window and knocked out framing. The accident followed a morning of fender benders for the Modesto Fire Department, said Battalion Chief Tim Tietjen. Ceres also had a number of minor traffic accidents. Shortly before noon a 17-year-old driver lost control of his vehicle on the wet road and hit a taxidermy business near Harold Avenue and Hackett Road, said Ceres police Sgt. Joseph Wren. The rain, briefly heavy in spots, failed to move the needle much on annual rainfall totals. The Modesto Irrigation District recorded 0.09 inches fell Saturday. To the south, the Turlock Irrigation District recorded 0.05 inches. The showers brought Modesto’s total since July 1 to 1.8 inches, nearly 10 inches below the season rainfall average. Tonight’s predicted low of 40 should be the lowest of the week, according to the National Weather Service. Patchy dense fog is forecast each morning through Wednesday. Thanksgiving Day is expected to dawn bright and sunny, warming to about 66 degrees. Clouds may return Friday night, when a slight chance of rain is forecast.

This story was originally published November 22, 2014 at 8:12 PM with the headline "Accidents abound in rainy weather."