Residents can expect to at least see some snow in the distance
this holiday season thanks to cold air charging toward Gilroy from
Alaska, according to weather reports.
Residents can expect to at least see some snow in the distance this holiday season thanks to cold air charging toward Gilroy from Alaska, according to weather reports.
While people almost certainly won’t see any white in their backyards this winter, meteorologists expect flakes to coat the top of Mt. Hamilton in San Jose, which stands 4,360 feet tall. Parts of Mt. Madonna County Park could also receive some powder. The park’s highest point is 1,850 feet in elevation, according to Senior Ranger John Heenan. Last January, snow fell at the summit before melting quickly. Meteorologists predict much thicker snow will blanket the Sierra Nevadas and Lake Tahoe, paving the way for winter sport enthusiasts.
Here on the ground, though, experts say Gilroyans can expect rain.
There is about a 40 percent chance of drizzles this weekend, according to weather reports, and experts predict about a quarter of an inch if it does rain. That would bring the Gilroy area’s annual rainfall – measured from July 1 – total to 2.38 inches, according to figures on the Santa Clara Valley Water District’s Web site.
Since July, 2.13 inches of rain have fallen near Coyote Reservoir just outside Gilroy, which equals about 63 percent of the average for this time of year, according to district figures. Gilroy averages about 20 inches per season.
Weather mavens warn, however, that too much rain is bad also because it could flood areas scorched by fires earlier this year.
The lack of rain so far could spell trouble for the water district, which last imposed rationing in 1991. Throughout the past year, the agency has taken water from its 10 reservoirs faster than rain has replenished them. As of Dec. 1, district figures show that the valley’s artificial lakes are about 54 percent below capacity.
District Spokesperson Susan Siravo did not immediately return phone calls Thursday, but she has said in the past that the organization needs above-average rainfall to achieve normal reservoir levels. If the rain does not come, the district has indicated it would import water from outside the county to satisfy demand.
