The mostly gentle rain and showers that have knocked leaves out of trees all over Fresno could bring a half-inch of rain to the area through Thursday, National Weather Service meteorologist Jim Bagnall said Tuesday.

Thunderstorms are still possible for Tuesday afternoon and will be associated with heavier rain.

The weather service has issued a winter storm warning for the Sierra above 8,000 feet, where as much as two feet of snow could fall through Thursday morning. The snowfall could close some roads and make driving hazardous on other roads.

The rain thus far is less than what the weather service predicted last Friday for the region. NWS has measured only a couple hundredths of an inch of rain at Fresno Yosemite International  Airport, Bagnall said.

The rainfall totals associated with off-shore “cut-off” lows can be harder to predict because of uncertainty as to if and where the low will cross the coast and head inland, Bagnall said.

Foggy Christmas Eve?

After Thursday, the forecast is for clear skies by Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with highs in the mid-50s and lows in the upper 30s.

That could mean foggy nights and early mornings, so Rudolph’s red nose will be vital for Santa Claus to make his rounds in the Valley.

“We possibly can have a foggy Christmas Eve, so he will be on the job, hopefully,” Bagnall said.