Visalians dreaming of a white Christmas might be disappointed to discover that rain, not snow, is in the holiday weather forecast.
On the first day of winter, Saturday, Dec. 21, rain could fall in the Central Valley, National Weather Service officials stated.
Low temperatures will also be around 10 degrees warmer than normal for this time of year, though. This warmup is projected to continue into Christmas Day, meteorologists said.
On Christmas Eve, there is a 50 to 90% probability of “measurable rainfall” in the San Joaquin Valley, according to Thursday’s NWS daily forecast.
“A stronger trough will move further south down into the forecast beginning on Christmas Eve,” NWS meteorologists stated. “This holiday system is projected to bring roughly a tenth of an inch of rain to much of the San Joaquin Valley, with totals increasing as you go northward.”
This system also looks to bring snow to the Sierra Nevada, and holiday travel could be impacted, particularly in the mountains, meteorologists said.