Unusual storm will bring rain, cooler days to Stanislaus region. How much rainfall?
Early season rainfall and cooler temperatures are expected this weekend in the drought-stricken Northern San Joaquin Valley.
The storm is hardly a drought-buster and it won’t signal an end to the wildfire season. But the change in weather is unusual for Modesto, which normally gets less than a quarter inch of rain in September.
A strong storm hitting Alaska will affect Northern and Central California and could bring rain totals of 1 inch to 1.25 inches to Modesto over a four-day period, a forecaster said.
Emily Heller, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Sacramento, said there’s a good chance of light to moderate rain in the Valley from Sunday to Tuesday.
“The best chances for constant, moderate rain for the Modesto area is Sunday night into Monday,” Heller said.
Sunny conditions will change to increasing clouds Saturday and a 70% chance of showers Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
Daytime temperatures are expected to be around 69 degrees Sunday and Monday, before rising into the 70s for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
The anticipated breezy winds before the rain this weekend are a concern because of extremely dry conditions in the foothills and mountains of Northern California. Wind gusts may be 15 to 20 mph in Modesto.
The Weather Service urged people enjoying the weekend, before the storm arrives, to practice fire safety by avoiding activity that produces sparks in dry grass. Also make sure that campfires are out before leaving and comply with local burn regulations.
After the storm passes, there is no additional rain in the longer range outlook, Heller said. The outlook is a warm-up period and dry conditions.
“We will take what we can get,” Heller said.
