Pre-Thanksgiving storm should clear dust from Modesto area, bring snow to Sierra
The Modesto area’s autumn dry spell is expected to end Tuesday with a storm that also could complicate Thanksgiving travel.
The rain would be the first since 0.07 inches fell on the city Sept. 16, according to the Modesto Irrigation District. That is all it has recorded in the weather year that started July 1.
We’re not back in drought, thanks to reservoir storage from recent wet years, but the rainless stretch has extended wildfire season past its usual end in October.
Monday brought strong winds that stirred up dust in the region. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District said it could be a concern for people with heart or lung conditions through Monday evening.
The National Weather Service forecasts an 80 percent chance of rain in Modesto on Tuesday evening, starting at about 5 p.m. The moisture could total an inch that day and Wednesday. The chance of rain Thursday is 30 percent.
People traveling in the Sierra Nevada should prepare for low-elevation snow Tuesday night into Friday. The Weather Service projects 2 to 3 feet at Sonora Pass, the summit of Highway 108.
Some ski resorts have opened in the Lake Tahoe area thanks to snow-making equipment. Dodge Ridge, off 108 near Pinecrest, is still waiting for enough of the natural stuff before opening.
This fall has been roughly similar to 2018, when storms did not start until late November. The weather year ended up well above average.
As of Sunday, storage was 121 percent of average in Don Pedro Reservoir. It stores Tuolumne River water for MID and the Turlock Irrigation District.
This story was originally published November 25, 2019 at 3:53 PM with the headline "Pre-Thanksgiving storm should clear dust from Modesto area, bring snow to Sierra."
