A storm system will advance into Riverside County Friday and is expected to make it a rainy Easter weekend.
The “unseasonably cold and vigorous storm system” is expected to bring rain to most areas, including a chance of thunderstorms, along with mountain snow, according to the National Weather Service.
The system is expected to hit hardest late Friday night through midday Saturday, with showers and possible thunderstorms lingering through Sunday, “some of which could be very strong with very heavy downpours, hail, gusty winds and possibly even a small tornado or waterspout.”
A winter storm watch is in effect in Riverside County mountains from Friday night to Sunday night. Snow, heavy at times, is in the forecast from Friday to Sunday. Predicted snowfall is from 1 to 3 inches from 5,000 feet to 5,500 feet, 3 to 6 inches from 5,500 feet to 6,500 feet, 6 inches to 12 inches from 6,500 feet to 7,500, and 12 inches to 24 inches from 7,500 feet to 9,500 feet.
The NWS issued a flood watch that will be in effect Friday evening through Sunday afternoon covering the bulk of the Southland, noting that “excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, urban areas, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.”
Most of the precipitation is anticipated late Friday and Saturday, but showers are likely to continue through Sunday, according to the NWS.
Gusty winds are also expected to accompany the storm, beginning Friday in San Luis Obispo County then spreading south through Saturday.
Forecasters said there’s a slight chance the storm activity could linger into early Monday, but “otherwise dry and warmer conditions are expected next week, with highs back into the 70s across the valleys and inland coastal plain areas by Tuesday.”