Weekend light rains possible for Merced County, as winter winds down

Merced County and areas of the Valley received rain Tuesday evening, wetting the grass in local parks and leaving puddles to greet residents departing on their morning commute.

The National Weather Service in Hanford estimated Merced County received between .1 and .15 inches of rain from Tuesday to Wednesday, depending on the area, with the southern part of the county seeing higher precipitation.

On Thursday, Merced County is expected to see afternoon highs of 72 to 73 degrees. Residents can expect to see more warmer weather Friday, with afternoon highs of 74 to 75 degrees.

Andy Bollenbacher, National Weather Service meteorologist, said Merced County could see more light rains beginning Saturday night and lasting into Tuesday.

With the Saturday storm system, Merced County will likely see slightly cooler weather of around 62 degrees.

Thus far, Merced has received .13 inches of rain from March 1 to March 11. During the same period last year, Merced received 1.4 inches.

The average amount of rain for Merced County during the beginning of March is .6 inches, according to the National Weather Service.