Flood advisory issued for Merced County area. Rain possible into New Year’s weekend
Forecasters with the National Weather Service in Hanford issued a flood advisory Tuesday morning for the West Side of Merced County in the Los Banos area, which is expected to lift by 1 pm.
The advisory comes as a post-Christmas Day storm has brought moderate rainfall to the region. From late Monday into late Tuesday morning, the storm thus far brought .65 inches to an inch of rain, according to NWS meteorologist JP Kalb.
Similarly, a flood watch is in place for the Mariposa area and Yosemite Valley.
Along with the rain, the Valley has seen some “nuisance flooding,” with reports coming from areas such as Los Banos and other areas with poor drainage, Andy Bollenbacher, lead forecaster at the National Weather Service in Hanford, told The Bee on Tuesday morning.
Tuesday’s storm will subside around midnight to 2 a.m on Wednesday, which is a little faster than initial forecasts predicted, but Bollenbacher said the rainstorms would be “very active” over the next 10-14 days.
The weather service expects another storm to bring more rain to the region by Thursday, with precipitation expected into the New Years weekend. Kalb said it’s possible Merced County could see up to 3 inches total rain by the end of the week.
Temperatures for Merced County are expected to be highs in the mid 50s most of the week, lows in mid 40s at night.
Just a heads up for our forecast area - Flood Advisory for the Merced Area until 1pm PST today. Be aware, and turn around, don't drown when driving! https://t.co/yatQXIiYbF
— NWS Hanford (@NWSHanford) December 27, 2022
HNX continues Flood Watch for Mariposa Madera Foothills, Mariposa-Madera Lower Sierra, Yosemite Valley [CA] till Dec 27, 7:00 PM PST https://t.co/XYJ4KOxEGD pic.twitter.com/hzVV7ulGNC
— IEMBot HNX (@iembot_hnx) December 27, 2022
The storms also will bring several feet of snow to Sierra Nevada watersheds. They are the main supply for Central Valley farms and cities.
The snow forecast for the Sierra Nevada mountains is expected to be 2-3 feet of snow above 8,000 feet elevation, 1-2 feet of snow at 7,000-8,000 feet elevation and 4-8 inches at 6,000 to 7,000 feet.
The central Sierra snowpack stood at 143% of average to date Tuesday morning, according to the California Department of Water Resources. It had reached 160% in early December before a dry spell dropped it back.
A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for the Sierra Nevada above 6,000 feet until 10 AM Wednesday morning. The majority of this snow will fall today. Strong winds possible. Travel will be difficult. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/0cQNhMFvbX
— NWS Hanford (@NWSHanford) December 27, 2022
Bollenbacher warns drivers and holiday travelers to take extra precautions on the road. “Slow down in the rain,” he said.” You don’t want to hydroplane.”
The Modesto and Fresno Bees contributed to this report.
