A storm system packed with rain from the Pacific Northwest will roll into the Inland Empire on Saturday, producing another round of downpours through the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
The agency said back-to-back troughs will sweep across the region, beginning Saturday afternoon and continuing into early next week, with the heaviest precipitation likely late Saturday night.
A Flood Watch is in effect from Saturday evening to the predawn hours Sunday.
“An atmospheric river will reach Southern California late Saturday afternoon, with a quick passage … (and) rain rates of one-half inch per hour possible after dark,” the NWS said.
A Wind Advisory is also in effect from 4 p.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. Sunday, with speeds of 15 to 25 mph likely and periodic gusts to 45 mph, according to the Weather Service.
The Riverside metropolitan area may receive anywhere from a quarter-inch to 1 1/2 inches, with similar precipitation totals in southwestern Riverside County. The eastern county region could receive a tenth to a quarter-inch, meteorologists said.
Snow levels will generally hold above 7,000 feet until Sunday morning, when elevations above 5,000 feet could be under a blanket of frozen precipitation, according to the NWS.
Unstable conditions will persist into early next week, resulting in additional rainfall Monday and Tuesday, forecasters said.
Dry conditions are in the forecast Wednesday to Friday.
For Saturday and Sunday, temperatures are expected to turn chilly again in the Riverside area, with highs in the upper 50s and lows in the mid 40s.
In the Temecula Valley, the mercury is forecast to top out in the mid 50s Saturday and Sunday, with lows in the mid 40s, while in the Coachella Valley, daytime highs for the weekend were expected to be in the low to mid 60s, with lows in the upper 40s.