Will Santa need Rudolph’s nose to lead him to Fresno on Christmas Eve?

The gray blanket of thick morning fog will be with us for a few more days, but a warm-up period is on the way – as well as more much-needed rain for the valley.

Santa may need to wear his waterproof suit and have a tarp over his sleigh to keep the presents from getting damp. The forecast for Christmas Eve calls for a return of rainy weather, National Weather Service meteorologist David Spector told GV Wire on Tuesday.

Next week will be a combination of weather and temperatures, starting with dense fog moving into the Fresno area overnight and being thickest in the early morning hours. The fog typically begins forming in the middle of the valley in Kingsburg, Selma, Visalia and Hanford and then spreads overnight into the rest of the valley, including Fresno, he said.

A ridge of high pressure moving onshore will increase temperatures later this week, but also increase the potential for stagnant air, Spector said.

Last week, particulate matter levels spiked as a high-pressure system parked over the valley, worsening air quality and prompting the San Joaquin Air Pollution Control District to issue a health alert.

Higher particle levels could occur again as weak winds are forecast, Spector said.

Warm up on the go

The ridge moving across the valley will raise temperatures above normal, with the high temperature for Friday set at 67 degrees – about 12 to 13 degrees above normal, he said. Nighttime minimum temperatures will also be around 8 to 10 degrees above normal.

There is a slight chance of rain in Fresno on Saturday, although the strongest impacts from the approaching storm are expected to occur north of Interstate 80 in Northern California, Spector said.

As of Monday, precipitation amounts for Fresno will be about average.

But prepare for a return of wet weather: “It looks like the 24th will be the next legitimate burst of precipitation for our region,” he said.

Rain-soaked ground creates the necessary moisture that the fog needs to form.

Fresno’s forecast high and low for the next eight days: Tuesday, high of 58, overnight low of 43; Wednesday, high of 57, overnight low of 43; Thursday, high of 61, overnight low of 45; Friday, high of 67, overnight low of 49; Saturday, high of 66, overnight low of 48; Sunday, high of 61, overnight low of 48; Monday, high of 63, overnight low of 50; and Tuesday, high of 63.