How much rain is expected during this week’s big storm in the central San Joaquin Valley?
The entire central San Joaquin Valley will be under a flood watch due to the upcoming storm that’s expected to arrive Thursday, according to the National Weather Service in Hanford.
The atmospheric river storm is forecast to strongly hit the eastern side of Fresno County, with as much as 8 inches expected to pour down on the foothills and close to 6 feet of snow in elevations higher than 9,000 feet.
Here’s a breakdown of the amount of rain expected in the region through Sunday, according to the National Weather Service:
Chowchilla — 2.5 inches
Clovis — 3.5 inches
Dos Palos — 1.4 inches
Firebaugh — 1.3 inches
Fresno — 3.31 inches
Hanford — 2.09
Kingsburg — 3 inches
Madera — 2.6 inches
Mendota — 1.25 inches
Oakhurst — 6.23 inches
Orange Cove — 3.75 inches
Shaver Lake — 7.8 inches
Tulare — 2.3 inches
Visalia — 2.64 inches
“It isn’t expected to snow in the lower-elevation areas as it had during past storms recently,” NWS meteorologist Jim Bagnall said. “So places like Shaver Lake, Bass Lake, it’s not going to snow this time.
“But they’re going to get more rainfall, especially the Fresno County foothill areas. That rain is going to melt snow, and it all adds to the runoff and flooding concerns.”
Heavy rain below 8,000 ft and melting snow from 2,000 ft to 5,000 ft will cause water levels to rise on area rivers & streams, resulting in the possibility of flooding in the Sierra Nevada foothills and Sierra Nevada below 4,000 feet Thursday evening through Sunday morning. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/WrPlC3aDP2
— NWS Hanford (@NWSHanford) March 7, 2023
Snow fall predictions
Huntington Lake, which is at an elevation of 6,955 feet, could receive as much as 18 inches of snow.
The higher elevations of the mountains that reach 9,000 to 10,000 feet, meanwhile, are expected to receive about 57 inches of snow and maybe more, Bagnall said.
Flooding concerns in western Fresno County
Bagnall warned that though the western side of Fresno County isn’t expected to receive as much rain as the eastern side, that side of the county could be more vulnerable to flooding.
“There are rivers and creeks and streams on the western side of Fresno County that could cause flooding,” Bagnall said. “Really, there are concerns of flooding pretty much throughout Fresno County, and throughout the Central Valley area.
“The entire Valley is under a flood watch.”
There is a moderate risk of excessive rainfall in the northeastern portion of the San Joaquin Valley, the Sierra Nevada foothills, and the Sierra Nevada below 6,000 feet Thursday evening and overnight, which could result in localized flooding. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/G0jLmU8QpV
— NWS Hanford (@NWSHanford) March 7, 2023
A strong storm system will impact Central California Thursday night through Saturday night, producing heavy snow in the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada. A Winter Watch is in effect above 7,000 feet from 4 PM PST Thursday through 10 AM PDT Sunday. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/4bJafLAaoM
— NWS Hanford (@NWSHanford) March 7, 2023
