What’s ahead for Modesto-area weather after downpours that flooded many streets?
Modesto-area residents can expect sunny weather as they venture out Tuesday morning, hopefully without flooded streets in their way.
A potent series of storms caused localized flooding in many parts of Stanislaus County. The rain lasted into late morning Monday and then gave way to a partly sunny afternoon.
The National Weather Service forecasts mostly sunny days at least until Tuesday, Nov. 2. That should dry out streets that remained flooded in some places as of Monday afternoon.
The storms also brought snow to upper parts of the Sierra Nevada, the main watershed for Central Valley cities and farms. But it’s way too early to say that the drought is easing.
The Modesto Irrigation District recorded a total of 2.78 inches of rain for all of Sunday and for Monday up to 3 p.m. That brought the total to 3.4 inches for the storm season, which typically runs from mid-fall to early spring. The average annual total is 12.14 inches. The last two years have seen far below normal rainfall in the valley and snowpack in the mountains, leading to severe drought conditions.
The Weather Service had warned of localized flooding until 5 p.m. Monday, but the advisory has been extended to 5 a.m. Tuesday.
The California Highway Patrol reported a small mudslide along northbound Highway 99 at H Street in Modesto, but it was cleared around noon.
The CHP also reported flooding in the following areas, among many others in the county:
- Southbound Highway 99 in Modesto near the Hatch Road off-ramp.
- Two places along Claribel Road south and southeast of Riverbank: at Albers Road and Eleanor Avenue
- South of Waterford at Montpelier Road and Whitmore Road, where there was a report of a Nissan stuck in water.
- West of Modesto at Shiloh and West Grayson roads, where a vehicle was stalled in water.
Both days set rainfall records for these dates. The 1.61 inches Sunday bested the previous high of 1.36 on Oct. 24, 1998. Monday’s 1.17 inches topped the 0.47 in 1979.
This story was originally published October 25, 2021 at 3:47 PM.
