Temperature drop this week in Modesto; rain possible

Get ready to get chilly.

The Modesto area will see a big drop in daytime highs and nighttime lows this week, according to the National Weather Service.

Monday hit a nearly balmy 68 degrees in Modesto, turning partly cloudy at night. The low temperature should be around 47 degrees, and there’s a 10 percent chance of rain after 4 a.m. Tuesday.

Tuesday will hold a 50 percent chance of rain, though it would be less than one-tenth of an inch, the weather service said. Some areas, such as Sonora and Yosemite National Park, are expected to get a quarter inch to a half inch.

Temperatures will dip nearly 10 degrees Tuesday, forecasters say; the mostly cloudy day will have an expected high near 59 degrees. A cold storm from the Gulf of Alaska is behind the drop.

In the foothills, the colder temperatures mean lower snow. Light snow is possible down to 1,500 feet, forecasters say, with accumulations near 18 inches near the pass levels.

“Pre-Thanksgiving travel likely will be impacted on area highways, especially Tuesday, so start planning now,” the service said in a notice issued Monday.

The 50 percent chance of rain carries into Tuesday night, which will have a low of about 42 degrees.

The chilliest day of the week should be Wednesday, which will be partly sunny with a high near 53. There’s a 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before 10 a.m. That should be the coldest night of the week, too, with a low around 35.

Thanksgiving Day should be mostly sunny and mainly dry, forecasters say, with a high near 54. The daily highs will increase a bit through the rest of the week: near 55 Friday and Saturday, 56 on Sunday. The days will be mostly sunny.

Nighttime lows the rest of the week should be in the mid- to upper 30s.

This story was originally published November 23, 2015 at 8:28 AM with the headline "Temperature drop this week in Modesto; rain possible."