More snow and rain are in the forecast Friday for parts of Riverside County in the mountain communities and a winter weather advisory has been issued by the National Weather Service.
The winter weather warning is from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. Friday with wet snow and wind gusts up to 60 mph in the mountain areas. Snowfall of 3 to 5 inches is expected at elevations between 4,500 feet and 6,500 feet, and 6 top 8 inches at elevations above 8,000 feet.
Firefighters were on the scene of multiple mudslides in San Jacinto Thursday that trapped occupants of several vehicles, as a late-winter rainstorm moved through the Inland Empire.
The mudslides were first reported around 6:05 a.m. Thursday at the intersection of Soboba Road and Chabela Drive, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. Members of the department’s Swift Water Rescue Team helped free six people, all of whom were released after receiving on-site paramedic evaluations.
Soboba Road was closed between Chabela Drive and State/Gilman Springs while crews attempted to disperse the mud flow and remove vehicles from the street.
“The cold nature of the storm aloft also increases the chances of thunderstorms across the area, leading to the potential of locally heavy rain and flooding,” the NWS said Wednesday. “The chances for exceeding 2 inches are 70% to 90% for the mountains and 40% to 50% for portions of the valleys. There is even a 30% to 50% chance of rainfall totals exceeding 4 inches of rain on the coastal slopes of the San Bernardino Mountains.”
Snow levels will drop to as low as 3,000 feet by Friday morning, when the disturbance spins eastward, according to meteorologists.
“Estimated snowfall totals above 6,500 feet are 8 to 12 inches, with locally up to 24 inches possible above 7,500 feet,” the NWS said.
Clear and mild conditions are forecast for the weekend.