Showers are returning to Merced, along with thunderstorms. How much rain will we get?
Rain is returning to the Merced area, along with a thunderstorm or two, according to the National Weather Service.
Merced has the greatest chance of seeing more than an inch of rainfall within a 24-hour period on Wednesday, the National Weather Service wrote in an X post.
“We are expecting three quarters of an inch to an inch and a quarter (of rain) in the Valley for Merced County,” said David Spector, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Hanford office.
The Sierra Nevada foothills could see up to 2 inches of rainfall, while mountain areas could get 2 to 4 inches of precipitation, he said.
“They’re going to get a lot of rain,” Spector said.
The storm sweeping through the Central Valley is part of a series of three storms from the Pacific Northwest, Spector said.
According to the weather service, the last time Merced had any measurable rain was during the weekend of Jan. 25, when the area received just under a 10th of an inch.
What’s in the weather forecast for Merced?
Monday was expected to be cloudy with a high temperature near 66 degrees and winds around 5 mph according to the weather service’s latest seven-day forecast.
Monday night will have a low temperature of 51 degrees, along with patchy fog and wind gusts as high as 20 mph
There was a 80% chance of precipitation after 10 p.m. Monday, the weather service said.
When will the rain start?
Rain will fall before 4 p.m. Tuesday, with showers and “possibly a thunderstorm” after that point, the weather service said.
New rainfall amounts of a quarter to a half-inch are possible.
Merced-area residents can also expect winds of 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
The high on Tuesday will be near 59 and the overnight low be around 40.
Another thunderstorm is possible before 10 p.m. Tuesday, followed by rain mainly between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. That could add another quarter-inch to half-inch of rain.
The rain will continue on Wednesday, when there’s a 40% chance of precipitation before 10 a.m.
The day will be mostly sunny, with a high near 57 and an overnight low around 38.
Wednesday night will has a 60% chance of precipitation, the weather service said.
What about snow?
Snow is expected to start falling at elevations of 6,500 feet or higher on Monday, Spector said.
Elevations above 8,000 feet can expect 1 to 3 feet of snow, he added.
Will there be more showers?
A “third and final storm” will move through the Fresno area on Thursday afternoon through Friday evening, Spector said, bringing cooler temperatures.
The Merced area will see rain mainly before 4 p.m. Thursday with a thunderstorm possible after that point.
The high on Thursday will be near 58 with wind gusts as high as 25 mph.
Thursday night will also have showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 10 p.m., followed by rain.
The temperature will drop to around 43 overnight, and winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Friday could see some rain before 10 a.m.
The day will be partly sunny, with a high near 56 and wind gusts as high as 15 mph.
Friday night will be mostly clear with a low around 34 and gusts as high as 15 mph.
“The weekend is going to be going to be pretty much dry, with frosty mornings,” Spector said, predicting lows in the mid-30s and highs in the mid -.
The sky will clear up on Saturday, which will have a high near 55 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph.
Saturday night will be mostly clear with a low around 32.
Sunday will be sunny with a high near 55.
%20Cropped.jpg)