Rainy days ahead, and a storm on Tuesday

Forecasters predict a week of mostly scattered showers in Merced County with a larger storm brewing that should hit Tuesday afternoon.

Light rain is expected to creep in this morning, with increasing showers on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service in Hanford.

Projections made earlier this week of an inch or more of rain for Sunday have been scaled back to about a half inch or less, weather experts said.

“The big system for precipitation should get here Tuesday afternoon or Tuesday evening,” said meteorologist Brian Ochs. “We should get a much more significant rain total then, about three quarters of an inch or an inch from that storm.”

Forecasters said that storm should clear by Wednesday afternoon, but lingering showers are likely through Thursday.

Ochs said most of the rainfall in the San Joaquin Valley should occur in areas north of Merced, such as Modesto and Stockton.

Snowfall in the mountains is also expected over the next five days at elevations above 6,000 feet, particularly on Tuesday. Winds in the mountains are expected to vary between 20 and 40 mph over the same time, forecasters said, but no significant winds are expected in the Valley.

To check current road conditions, contact the California Department of Transportation at (800) 427-7623 or www.dot.ca.gov/.

This story was originally published November 28, 2014 at 4:28 PM with the headline "Rainy days ahead, and a storm on Tuesday."