MERCED — A break from the wet weather is in Merced's forecast, but freezing nighttime temperatures could take its place.

Light rain is expected today, but should stop in the afternoon, said Carlos Molina, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Hanford. Clear skies tonight will allow the temperature to drop to 36 degrees in Merced.

Thursday should be mostly sunny with a high of 54 degrees. Continued clear skies will drop temperatures to 29 degrees for Thursday night and Friday morning, Molina said. Friday is expected to be sunny with a high of 50 degrees.

The Central Valley has been hammered with rain over the past week, and Molina said Merced got 1.15 inches of rain during that span, bringing the total rainfall for the season up to 4.48 inches. The usual rainfall for this point in the season is 3.34 inches.

Another storm could move in for the weekend, Molina noted. Though there's some uncertainty as to where the storm will go, it could move in and hit Merced on Saturday morning, bringing more rain to the area.

Light winds are expected through Friday, but could pick up Saturday if the storm moves in, he said.

Reporter Mike North can be reached at (209) 385-2453 or mnorth@mercedsunstar.com.