Modesto Rain Stays Ahead Of Average, But Sierra Snow Lags

The first in a wave of storms brought moderate rain to the Modesto area Thursday, along with accidents on the slick streets.The Modesto Irrigation District reported 0.39 inches in its downtown gauge as of 5 p.m., bringing the total to 3.88 inches for the rainfall year that started July 1. The historical average to date is about 2.5 inches.The more important Sierra Nevada snowpack is not doing so well. It stood at 52 percent of average in the central part of the range as of Thursday, the California Department of Water Resources reported.