Temperatures will plummet going into next week, with rain showers and high winds throughout the Inland Empire as a weather system originating from the Gulf of Alaska rolls through the region, forecasters said Friday.
“This is expected to bring a period of gusty winds, cooler weather and some precipitation,” according to a National Weather Service statement. “High temperatures for Monday are expected to be 10 degrees below average for areas west of the mountains, with further cooling into Tuesday, when highs for the mountains and inland valleys will be up to 20 degrees below average.”
The agency said a trough of low pressure currently gathering energy in the waters around Vancouver will begin to “dig south into California” at the start of next week, spinning toward the border until exiting to the east via Arizona on Wednesday.
“Gusty westerly winds are expected Monday into Tuesday,” the Weather Service said. “Winds will strengthen through the day Monday, peaking in strength overnight Monday into early Tuesday. Peak wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph for the deserts onto the desert slopes of the mountains, with isolated gusts of 55 to 65 mph for the northern Coachella Valley below the San Gorgonio Pass.”
Scattered rain showers will develop Monday night and linger through Tuesday, but amounts are expected to be a tenth of an inch or less in most locations, though mountain slopes could receive up to a quarter inch, forecasters said.
Cooler weather will continue to the end of the week.
For the Riverside metropolitan area, highs this weekend will generally top out in the low 80s, falling into the upper 50s overnight, while from Monday to Wednesday, the daytime mercury will peak in the mid 60s, dropping into the mid 40s at night.
In the Coachella Valley, highs will reach the mid 90s this weekend, falling to the low 70s during the overnight hours, and from Monday to Wednesday, temps will max out in the low to mid 70s, with lows in the mid 50s.
In the Temecula Valley, the temperature band will be virtually identical to Riverside metro this weekend and early next week, according to the NWS.