There’s a chance Fresno could see some rain beginning Friday afternoon and continuing through Sunday.

But any raindrops falling on our heads will be just a taste of an expected wet Christmas week.

“Confidence continues to increase for totals of at least two inches of rainfall in the San Joaquin Valley and several inches for the Sierra Nevada foothills” beginning next Tuesday and lasting until at least Christmas Day, says the National Weather Service in Hanford.

A powerful Pineapple Express storm targeting Southern California is expected to drench the Valley and deliver snow to the Sierra.

“Snow levels will be above 8,000 feet until at least Monday and lower to about 7,000 feet for Tuesday onward,” NWS Hanford said in its Friday morning forecast discussion. “Exact timing of precipitation for next week remains uncertain, but it appears we are in for an active period for quite some time once it begins.”

The Climate Prediction Center says that the 6-to-10-day outlook indicates a 70-80% chance for above average precipitation for the Valley.

Related Story: Slow-Moving Storm Pushes Fresno Rainfall to 353% of Normal

Closer Look at the Valley Forecast

NWS Hanford says to expect fog and low clouds tonight, with about a 40 percent chance of dense fog forming after midnight.

Rain could begin for Fresno County northward this afternoon, especially in Merced County and Yosemite National Park.

The highest probability of rain on Saturday and Sunday will be in the Valley’s northern reaches.

Precipitation will be light to moderate, with the highest amounts projected near Yosemite this weekend.

As for next week, NWS is projecting a 30% chance of rain for Fresno on Monday. The forecast calls for a 90% chance Tuesday night and Wednesday, and 80%, with wind gusts up to 15 mph, on Christmas.