Weekend storm brings much-needed rain to Modesto area; sunny days ahead
The storm that hit the Northern San Joaquin Valley over the weekend was a welcome addendum to a dry winter. And while there’s another chance of rain mid-week, the weekend is looking more typically warm and sunny.
The weekend rain brought the seasonal total in the Modesto area to 6.24 inches, according to the Modesto Irrigation District website. That’s still roughly half of the annual average.
A few power outages were reported in the area, MID spokeswoman Melissa Williams said in an email Tuesday.
It’s not yet clear how much the storm, which also brought snow to the higher elevations, will affect how much water is available to farmers during the irrigation season.
“Given the winter’s dry conditions, MID initially set a 36 inch per acre capped allocation for the 2020 irrigation season,” Williams said. “We’re awaiting analysis of the most recent snowfall data and precipitation impacts on our watershed to bring a final allocation recommendation to our Board for consideration at our April 14 Board meeting.”
The board meeting will be conducted online via Zoom conference due to social distancing concerns during the coronavirus pandemic. Williams said instructions for how the public can watch and take part in the meeting will be available on MID’s website by Friday.
Looking ahead, the National Weather Service predicts a chance of rain through Wednesday in the Modesto and Merced areas, followed by sunny and warmer conditions at the end of the week.
By Saturday, the clouds are expected to clear out and highs will be in the upper 70s, with overnight lows falling to the low 50s.
