Second Storm Expected To Bring More Showers To RivCo

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA - Don't let the semi-clear skies fool you. The rain's not gone just yet. Riverside County is again expected to be hit by a storm system, which will reach the region on Thursday, bringing scattered showers for the end of the workweek, according to the National Weather Service.

"Widely scattered showers come back into the evening into Friday," the NWS said Thursday. "Allow extra time if traveling on the roads!"

As of 3 a.m., Mount San Jacinto had received the most precipitation over the past two days, with 0.79 of an inch, followed by 0.69 at the Riverside Municipal Airport; 0.62 in Keenwild; 0.61 in Poppet Flats; 0.59 in Vista Grande and the Banning Bench; 0.55 in Lake Elsinore and Beaumont; 0.51 in Live Oak Canyon and 0.44 in Temecula, according to the National Weather Service.

The second storm system could drop around one-tenth of an inch of rain in the Riverside metropolitan area and the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning through late Friday, forecasters said.

Less than one-tenth of an inch is expected in Lake Elsinore and Temecula, Idyllwild could get up to a half-inch and no rain is expected in the Coachella Valley.

"Periods of mostly light showers with lowering snow levels will continue into Friday night with somewhat greater precipitation coverage and amounts for tonight into early Friday," according to the NWS. "There will also be periods of stronger and gusty southwest to west winds in
the mountains and deserts."

Those strong and gusty winds expected with the second storm prompted the NWS to issue a wind advisory for the Riverside County mountains and the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning, including Desert Hot Springs, that will last through 8 p.m. Friday.

Southwest-to-west winds of 25 to 35 mph, with gusts reaching 55 mph, will begin blowing Thursday evening and continue through Friday evening, forecasters said.

Come Saturday, forecasters say we can expect mostly dry weather, but more showers are coming on Sunday through early next week.

It is unlikely that flooding, mud and debris flows will develop around the Cleveland National Forest and the Temescal Valley, according to the Riverside County Emergency Management Department.

More information is available at www.rivcoready.org.

— City News Service contributed to this report