Systems rolling in from the north this weekend will generate widespread rain and possibly thunderstorms, as well as light snow at higher elevations, around the Inland Empire.
The National Weather Service said Thursday that two troughs of low pressure will drive south along the California coast, the first one a weak front producing only isolated intermittent showers Friday and early Saturday, followed by a stronger trough dragging more moisture into the region, resulting in downpours and thundershowers Saturday night into Monday morning.
Windy conditions were also in the forecast, though primarily “across mountains and deserts, gusting 25 to 45 mph” over the weekend, the NWS stated.
“The (second) system will be colder, so the chance for thunderstorms has increased for areas west of the mountains on Sunday,” the agency stated. “Snow levels will start to fall below 7,000 feet by Saturday night, going down nearly to 5,500 feet by Sunday night.”
About an inch of fresh snow was expected to accumulate in Big Bear and possibly near Idyllwild.
No watches or warnings had been posted as of Thursday afternoon.
Forecasters said the unstable conditions will settle as the cyclone exits into Arizona Monday.
Daytime temperatures in the Riverside metropolitan area Friday will be in the mid 70s, with overnight lows in the mid 50s. Saturday and Sunday, highs will peak in the mid-60s, with lows in the upper 40s.
In the Coachella Valley — where the first weekend of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival is set to start — temps will reach the upper 80s Friday, dropping into the upper 50s overnight. On Saturday and Sunday, the mercury will peak in the low to mid 70s, falling into the mid 50s during nighttime hours.
For the Temecula Valley on Friday, temps will peak in the low 70s, with lows in the upper 40s, while on Saturday and Sunday, the mercury will max out in the low to mid-60s, dipping into the low 40s at night, according to meteorologists.
Dry weather is predicted for most of next week.