Recent storms are more like a normal December for Modesto. Here’s when to expect more
Two storms brought 1.31 inches of rain to Modesto over the first four days of December — well more than half the month’s historic average of 2.12 inches and stoking optimism the region could have a normal winter.
The storms brought more than rain: From two to three feet of snow fell on ski resorts and other locations in the Sierra Nevada.
As of midday Monday, the season rain total was 2.24 inches in Modesto, with some more showers expected later in the day and another weather system anticipated late this week.
In an average year, Modesto gets 2.18 inches by the end of November and 4.3 inches through December, according to records kept by the Modesto Irrigation District. The rain season runs from July 1 to June 30, and December and January are usually the wettest months.
Melissa Williams, a spokeswoman for MID, said Monday that it’s too early to know if December will provide any relief for drought-depleted reservoirs that are the life-blood for agriculture in the Central Valley.
“We will need significantly more than average rainfall to pull us from the current drought,” Williams said via email. “As we monitor California’s dynamic weather patterns, we are always prepared and planning for the possibility of another dry year.”
The recent storms resulted in a slight increase in the storage level at Don Pedro Reservoir, which is still about 50% full, MID said.
A chance of showers and patchy fog are in the forecast Tuesday and more showers are possible Friday and Saturday.
Hannah Chandler-Cooley, a meteorologist for National Weather Service in Sacramento, said the details are less certain for a weaker storm system that is due late this week. The Modesto area could see scattered showers with maybe a quarter inch total between Friday and Sunday.
Chandler-Cooley said the weather impacts will be farther to the north and may be limited to the Sierra foothills and mountains. There are signs the pattern of unsettled weather and cooler temperatures may continue next week as well, she said.
A National Weather Service tweet said Modesto and Stockton are running above normal for precipitation since Oct. 1.
According to the Weather Service’s own data, Modesto has received 2.78 inches since early October, almost an inch more than normal. Rainfall in Stockton has measured 2.65 inches in the same period, or a quarter inch above the norm.
California is in a fourth year of drought and the first three months of 2022 were the driest in 100 years, according to a state report.
This story was originally published December 5, 2022 at 12:50 PM.
