The latest National Weather Service forecast says an atmospheric river remains on track to deliver as much as 2 inches of rain in Fresno on Thursday.

Southeast winds of about 15 mph will accompany the rain, with gusts as high as 30 mph possible.

Before the big precipitation event, however, smaller amounts of rain are expected to fall as early as Wednesday.

In addition, there is a possibility that snow could hit the Sierra at elevations as low at 5,000 feet. But the bulk of the new snow will be at 7,000 feet, NWS Hanford said in its Tuesday morning discussion.

A Winter Storm Warning will be in effect for the Sierra Nevada from 10 p.m. Wednesday to 10 p.m. Friday.

There is an 80% chance of rain on Friday. The amount will vary by location and be influenced by whether thunderstorms materialize.

Fresno’s seasonal rainfall stands at 3.33 inches to date, or 55% of normal.

Dry Forecast for the Weekend and President’s Day

The forecast calls for partly to mostly cloudy skies and calm winds over the weekend with highs in the low 60s and overnight lows in the mid-40s.

The President’s Day holiday forecast is mostly sunny skies with a high near 63 for Fresno.

To the north, a weak storm offers a slight chance of precipitation over Merced County to Yosemite National Park on the holiday.