Merced to see rain, thunderstorms return. Here’s when showers could arrive
.JPG "An SUV drives through standing water in the flooded right lane of Martin Luther King Jr. Way during a heavy rainstorm in Merced, Calif., Thursday, May 7, 2015.")
It’s time to get out the umbrellas again.
Rain showers and thunderstorms were set to hit the Merced area starting Friday night, according to the National Weather Service.
“The potential for thunderstorms is currently elevated this Saturday due to a trough coming through the region this weekend,” the federal weather agency said in an X post.
Merced had a 17% chance of thunderstorms on Saturday, while the Sierra Nevada had a 20% to 25% chance of thunderstorms, according to a map shared by the weather service on X.
The last time Merced had a thunderstorm was on April 1.
The month of April has been pretty much dry overall, according to Carlos Molina, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Here’s what to expect for the weekend.
What’s in the weather forecast for Merced ?
On Friday, the Merced area was expected to be mostly sunny, with a high temperature near 68 degrees according to the National Weather Service’s latest seven-day forecast.
Although Merced has seen highs in the 80s over the past few days, temperatures will only get into the 70s over the weekend, Molina said.
When will rain showers start?
Merced had a 50% chance of rain on Friday, mainly after 11 p.m., the weather service said.
The overnight low temperature will be around 48 degree.
Saturday will be partly sunny, with showers and thunderstorms likely after 11 a.m., according to the forecast. The high will be near 65.
“New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch” are expected, the weather service said, with “higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.”
On Saturday night, there is a 40% chance of rain. The low will dip to around 49.
“By the time we get to Saturday there will be a 10-degree drop in temperatures,” Molina said.
Will the weekend be sunny?
Skies over Merced will be blue and sunny on Sunday, which will have a high near 66 and a low around 46, according to the weather service.
Monday will be sunny with a high near 76 and an overnight low around 50.
More sunny weather is expected Tuesday, when the high will near 83 and the low will drop to around 55.
Merced will also see sunshine on Wednesday. The high will be near 87 and the low will be around 56.
Thursday will be sunny, with a high near 88, according to the weather service’s latest forecast.
This story was originally published April 25, 2025 at 12:43 PM.
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