A cold winter storm has brought rain and snow to much of Riverside County, with more precipitation on the way next week.
By 2 p.m. Saturday, Riverside, Lake Elsinore and Temecula had received 0.28 inches of rain in the last 24 hours, while the Coachella Valley mostly saw drizzles across the board, according to the National Weather Service.
Forecasters said the storm could bring snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches above 4,000 feet on Saturday, with localized amounts of up to 6 inches.
A winter weather advisory was issued through 10 p.m. Saturday for areas in the Riverside County mountains above 4,000 feet.
“Be prepared for reduced visibility at times with areas of dense fog resulting in dangerous driving conditions,” the NWS warned.
Those same areas will be under a winter storm watch from Sunday evening to Monday evening, when a more intense and colder storm is expected to move across the Southland, increasing snow accumulations to between 4 to 8 inches above 3,500 feet and 6 to 12 inches above 4,500 feet, according to the NWS.
Communities where heavy snowfall is anticipated include Idyllwild-Pine Cove in Riverside County and Crestline, Lake Arrowhead, Big Bear City, Big Bear Lake, Running Springs and Wrightwood in nearby San Bernardino County.
The snowfall will be a boon for skiers and snowboarders headed for the slopes.
Snow Valley Mountain Resort in Running Springs in the San Bernardino Mountains reported receiving 3 to 4 inches of new snow Saturday morning but will be closed that night due to the incoming storm.
Mountain High in Wrightwood reported receiving 7 inches of new snow in the last week.
Snow Summit and its sister ski resort Bear Mountain in the San Bernardino National Forest reported getting 2 to 4 inches of new snow overnight with more in the forecast.
Motorists will require tire chains to reach all three ski destinations.