FRESNO (KMJ) — Figures from the National Weather Service show Fresno received substantially less rain than it usually does in December.
The final month of 2017 saw 0.04 inches recorded at Fresno Yosemite International, which is 2.3% of normal; the usual amount is 1.77 inches. You can view the provisional readings clicking here.
“You got assume right now we’re well over a third, almost approaching a half way, through the major precipitation season part of the year, and for us to have essentially almost no snow pack in most of the elevations in the Sierra Nevada above us becomes very worrisome come the end of the year,” explained Fresno County Farm Bureau CEO Ryan Jacobsen.
“You start looking at the 15 day forecast. Even through almost mid-January at this point we don’t see a lot of expectations of any major storms coming through the area.”
Jacobsen said the high pressure system remaining over the Central Valley, which is shifting rain away from the area, is similar to what happened before previous droughts.
“Things aren’t looking very bright right now on the water side. We hope that could change. California, particularly the ag industry, really is dependent on three to five really strong storms.”
Hear the report from KMJ’s Dominic McAndrew as it aired:
