October 28,2014
Forecasters on both the Central Coast and in the San Joaquin Valley agree our parched part of the state will get its first significant storm this weekend including snow in the Sierra.
In SLO County PG&E forecaster John Lindsey points out that the region has been without out rain for nearly 190 days but that an area of low pressure will move out of the Gulf of Alaska on Halloween with rain totals from Total rainfall amounts in San Luis Obispo County are expected to range between 0.75″ in the coastal valleys and 1.25″ along
the coastline. Lesser amounts are expected in the North County.He adds that “this storm system may produce the first decent Sierra snowfall this season above 4,500 feet.”
Things are even more promising in the Central Valley where the NWS Hanford predicts the Central Sierra could get 4 to 8 inches of snow Friday and Saturday. Fresno could get 0.4 inches out of this storm (see chart).
Most storms this Fall, at least to date to date, have come into the state from the Pacific Northwest wetting only the northern part of California (see map of past 7 days) but leaving the rest of us high and dry. 
In the last week the 7 day total precip shows around 3 inches falling as far south as Shasta (in yellow on map) and even more on the upper California coast.
This pattern is different from the long term prediction offered by NOAA showing wet conditions this winter across southern California but a dry Pacific Northwest.
Which ever pattern we see our neck of the woods (midstate) seems to be always on the edge of the systems.
After this weeks storm another low pressure system is in the works by the end of the following week as “unsettled weather” is in store says John Lindsey.
Here is the forecast rain totals for the next week
