Latest storm is huge help for drought. What’s ahead for Modesto-area holiday travelers?
The latest storm Thursday put the Modesto area’s watershed at 102% of average. More will follow over the next six days, furthering hopes that the two-year drought is easing.
The National Weather Service warned of wet, windy conditions for travelers on Christmas Eve and the weekend. This includes skiers and snowboarders at Dodge Ridge, off Highway 108 near Pinecrest, which opened a week ago.
The snowpack reading was for the central Sierra Nevada, which takes in the Tuolumne and Stanislaus river watersheds. It was at 91% of average for the date as of Wednesday and passed 100% early Thursday, according to the California Department of Water Resources.
The current storm season started off strong in late October, followed by more autumn rain and snow. The season typically runs through March.
The central Sierra watershed was at only 47% of average last year and 62% the previous year. Reservoir storage has helped many water suppliers get through, but it would become tougher if the current year slips back below average.
The Weather Service forecast 1 to 2 inches of rain in Modesto through Wednesday, Dec. 29. The latest storm had dropped 0.73 inches into the downtown gauge of the Modesto Irrigation District as of 4 p.m. Thursday. The season total stands at 7.2 inches, more than halfway to the average year’s 12.14 inches.
Winds could be as high as 25 miles per hour over the next several days, the Weather Service said.
The Sonora area could get 5 to 7.5 inches of rain through next Wednesday. It lies in the foothills near both the Tuolumne and Stanislaus drainages.
As much as 100 inches of snow could fall where Highway 108 crests at Sonora Pass, already closed for the winter.
Dodge Ridge reports 118 inches of snow so far this season and expects up to 88 inches more by Sunday. The entire resort is open to patrons.
The California Highway Patrol hopes that travelers will have the right tires for the snow. And it will have extra officers on hand everywhere to watch for drunk drivers.
“Our goal is the same as yours, to make certain you arrive safely at your destination,” Commissioner Amanda Ray said in a news release.
This story was originally published December 23, 2021 at 10:57 AM.
