Modesto has not had measurable rain in seven weeks. That could change soon
A storm expected to arrive Saturday could bring welcome rain to the Modesto area and snow to its Sierra Nevada watershed.
The rain would be the first measured since Jan. 26 at the downtown gauge of the Modesto Irrigation District. It has recorded just 3.69 inches since the July 1, 2019, start of the weather year, 30 percent of the historical average. Most of the rain typically falls from November through March.
The National Weather Service said Modesto could get between 0.5 and 1.0 inch of rain between Saturday and Monday. Most is expected from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon.
Snow could fall as low as 3,000 feet in elevation, roughly the Twain Harte area on Highway 108. Most of the snow will be on the part of the road still closed for winter, including up to 3 feet at Sonora Pass.
The central Sierra snowpack was just 37 percent of average as of Thursday, the California Department of Water Resources reported. The snowmelt provides most of the water for MID, the Turlock Irrigation District and many other agencies.
So far, they have not imposed major cutbacks on farmers and other customers, thanks to above-average reservoir storage. Don Pedro Reservoir was at 111 percent of average as of Thursday, the DWR reported. It supplies MID and TID.
New Melones Reservoir on the Stanislaus River was at 127 percent of average. It holds water for the Oakdale and South San Joaquin irrigation districts and the federal Central Valley Project.
The reservoirs are doing well thanks to very wet conditions in 2017 and 2019.
Parts of Modesto got sprinkles one day in early March, but not MID’s gauge.
The Weather Service forecast a chance of rain and snow at least into Thursday, March 19.
This story was originally published March 13, 2020 at 1:05 PM.
