One storm system made its exit from the inland region Monday, but more rain is on the way, forecasters said.
According to the National Weather Service, another trough of low pressure is trundling toward Southern California from the northwest and is likely to make landfall Friday night, with moderate precipitation in the Riverside metropolitan area into Saturday.
About one-third of an inch of rain is currently in the forecast.
“Another system follows early next week (with) more precipitation potential,” according to an NWS statement.
The strength of next week’s storm will be better understood as forecast models mature, meteorologists said.
In the 48-hour period ending at 3 a.m., the most recent storm had dropped .21 inches of rain in the Riverside area, .70 inches near Lake Elsinore, .66 inches in the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning and .20 inches in Palm Springs, according to the NWS.
The storm also dropped around four inches of snow near Idyllwild and around nine inches of snow near the Long Valley Ranger Station in the San Jacinto Mountains, according to the Weather Service.
Temperatures are expected to warm slightly through Thursday, hovering in the mid to upper 60s during the day.
The Riverside County Emergency Management Department will be monitoring incoming weather to determine whether there is a possible threat of flooding, mud and debris flows.
The most recent storm did not trigger emergency action, including road closures and evacuations, unlike when inclement weather walloped the region on Dec. 6.
A wide area skirting the foot of the Cleveland National Forest was left exposed to potential flood and mud damage because of the 23,000-acre Holy Fire in August. The blaze, allegedly the work of an arsonist, denuded steep terrain below Santiago Peak, permitting water to flow unchecked onto lower slopes where subdivisions are situated.
Riverside County contracted with two engineering firms in October to build spillway diversions and erect protective barriers to prevent overflows from damaging public rights of way and communities in unincorporated areas. The work is ongoing.
More information is available at www.rivcoready.org .