Storm brings record weekend rainfall to Merced County. Here’s what’s ahead this week

A winter storm dumped significant amounts of rain on the Merced area this weekend, as the region saw 1.21 total inches Saturday and Sunday.

That includes 1.05 inches on Saturday, a new Dec. 10 record for Merced. The last time Merced saw a record amount of rain for Dec. 10 was .94 inches in 1937.

Merced received .16 inches of rain on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service in Hanford.

Despite the welcome level of rainfall, the Merced area is still trailing behind what’s recorded on average during a typical year. Thus far the Merced area has seen a total of 5.58 inches of rain for 2022, compared to 10.48 inches for a normal year.

This time last year, the Merced region had seen total annual rainfall of 6.94 inches. Total rainfall for all of 2021 was 10.51 inches.

Jim Bagnall, NWS meteorologist, said the prospects of rain this week unfortunately are not promising.

High temperatures through the week are expected to be in the low 50s, which is about 6 or 7 degrees cooler than normal.

Meteorologists are warning of near freezing temperatures at night through Wednesday for areas outside of major urban areas. That means they recommend residents in more rural locations bring pets inside and cover sensitive outdoor plants.

Low temperatures are expected to hit the low 30s this week, Bagnall said.

Other Valley areas

Fresno saw 0.02 inches of rain while areas in the foothills received about 1.5 inches over a 24 hour period from Sunday to Monday, the National Weather Service said.

That brings Fresno’s grand total since the start of the year to 4.42 inches, which is under the average of 9.72 inches, records show.

The weekend’s winter storm altogether brought almost an inch to the Fresno area, the service said.

Sacramento got 0.96 and 0.31 inches on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

High temperatures for the week are expected to hover just above 50 degrees. There’s a lower chance of rain (20%) on Friday night through Sunday.

Snow and chains

Chain checkpoints may be in place throughout the day on Monday depending on the snowfall in certain areas in the mountains, California Highway Patrol officer Mike Salas said.

The CHP announced Sunday the checkpoints on Highway 168 at Cressman Road and on Highway 180 at Milwood Road.

Officers and Caltrans will be checking cars at the top of the four-lane highway to make sure they have the required chains, Salas said adding they could spring up in other areas as well.

Salas said chains or cables are required to be in any vehicle every day, even those with all-wheel drive.

“Can’t stress it enough that all vehicles must carry chains at all times regardless of the type of vehicle you are driving,” he said in a text message.

China Peak recorded as much as 5 feet of snow in the past week, and around 10 feet for the season.

I-5 and the Grapevine

Travelers headed down south should plan for delays and difficult road conditions, according to the weather service, because an inch of snow was expected to continue to fall until Monday evening on Tehachapi Pass and over the Grapevine on I-5.

Higher elevations were expected to get 3 to 6 inches, forecasters said.