Cloudy skies and a chance of light showers were expected Sunday and Monday through most of Riverside County, forecasters said Saturday.
Rain could begin falling Sunday in the downtown Riverside, Hemet and Temecula areas with precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, according to the National Weather Service.
On Monday, the chance of precipitation in those areas was predicted to be 20%, with winds remaining at 5 to 10 mph, according to the NWS.
The Coachella Valley and Palm Springs were also predicted to have a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms Sunday, with a 20% chance of precipitation and winds of 10 to 15 mph with gusts of up to 25 mph.
The NWS said a strong area of low pressure was moving into the region, bringing much cooler and windier weather across inland areas.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued an air quality alert due to harmful particle pollution levels from windblown dust. Areas affected by the alert included Indio, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Palm Desert, Palm Desert Country, La Quinta an Coachella. The alert was effective from 2 p.m. Saturday to at least 2 p.m. Sunday.
Saturday’s temperatures were expected to reach the low 70s in the Riverside metropolitan area, the low 90s in Coachella and about 89 in Palm Springs.
Dry skies and a gradual warming trend was expected to begin Tuesday, with highs reaching the upper 80s in downtown Riverside by Thursday and the upper 90s in the Coachella Valley.