Brisk, Rainy Weather Predicted Next Weekend Across Inland Region

The month of May is likely to start off cold, wet and windy in parts of the Inland Empire, as a storm system plunges down the California coast from the Gulf of Alaska for the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
“The system moves down the coast Saturday,” the NWS said in a statement Wednesday. “Initially, it will bring strong onshore winds by Saturday afternoon, especially for the mountains, deserts and coastal waters. Top gusts in the top spots through mountain passes should exceed 60 mph. Then comes the precipitation in the evening.”
Forecasters said the trough of low pressure will not drag in “deep moisture,” but it will be sufficient to generate showery activity across the region, as well as snow showers down to 5,000 feet by early Sunday morning.
“A few thunderstorms should enter the mix Sunday afternoon,” the NWS stated. “Storm total precipitation is not impressive, around .5 inches for the mountain spots, but less than a tenth of an inch for the coast and desert.”
The system will largely exit eastward into Arizona by Sunday night. However, there’s a chance of a cutoff trough that may continue to fuel showers going into Monday, according to the weather service.
No advisories had been issued Wednesday afternoon in advance of the inclement weather.
Temperatures in the Riverside metropolitan area on Thursday and Friday were predicted to peak in the mid-70s, with overnight lows in the low 50s. However, Saturday’s high was expected to top out around 70 degrees, and Sunday’s would not pass 60, with lows in the upper 40s, meteorologists said.
In the Coachella Valley, the mercury was expected to peak in the low 90s on Thursday and Friday, falling into the mid 60s overnight. Saturday’s high would reach the upper 80s, followed by a drop to the upper 60s Sunday, and nighttime temps in the mid-50s.
The Temecula Valley’s highs Thursday and Friday were predicted to hover in the low 70s, falling to 50 during the overnight hours, while Saturday’s daytime temp wasn’t likely to exceed 70, and Sunday’s would crawl into the upper 50s, with lows in the low to mid-40s, the NWS said.