10 Inches Of Snow May Fall In Mountains Near Lake Elsinore

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The latest round of wet weather from a Pacific storm over Southern California is expected to begin Friday afternoon and could bring up to 10 inches of snow in parts of Riverside County's mountains, the National Weather Service said.

After a "mostly cool and dry" Friday afternoon, rain is expected to return to the region on Friday evening. Snow levels are forecast to drop as low as 4,000 feet.

"The first round of light to moderate precipitation will move into the area from the west beginning late this evening through late Saturday morning, then another round with less coverage Saturday
evening through Sunday morning," the NWS said in its forecast discussion. "Snow levels start out around 5500 ft this evening, then drop to 4000 ft Saturday night."

As for Lake Elsinore in particular, here's what you can expect in the coming days, according to the NWS:

Friday Afternoon
Partly sunny, with a high near 58. West wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Friday Night
Showers. Low around 45. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Saturday
A chance of showers, mainly before 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 58. Light west wind increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Saturday Night
A slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 41. West wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Sunday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. Light west wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.

Sunday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43.

Monday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 69.

Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 47.

A winter weather advisory covering the mountains, including the Idyllwild-Pine Cover area, will go into effect at 5 p.m. Friday and expire at 5 a.m. Sunday, the NWS said. The advisory signifies that periods of snow are expected and could pose a hazard to drivers.

"Plan on difficult travel conditions," the weather service said. "Be prepared for snow covered roads and limited visibility, and use caution while driving."

As the snow levels drop, between 5 and 7 inches of snow could fall at elevations above 6,000 feet, though some areas could get closer to 10 inches, according to forecast reports. Up to an inch of snow could fall in areas below 5,000 feet, and about 2 to 5 inches are forecast to fall between 5,000 and 6,000 feet.

Accompanying the snow will be gusty westerly winds of 35 to 45 mph along desert mountain slopes, the weather service said.

Rain and cool weather is also expected in the Riverside metropolitan area over the weekend, while the Coachella Valley will be decidedly nicer with mostly clear, sunny skies. No rain is forecast to fall in the Coachella Valley, and high temperatures will be 72 degrees Friday, 70 on Saturday and 69 to 74 on Sunday. Periods of gusty winds up to 35 mph are forecast through the weekend.

West of the mountains, high temperatures Friday will be around 58 to 63 with a roughly 20 percent chance of light showers Friday afternoon. Rain is expected overnight and then again on Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon.

Drivers who planned to travel into or through Southern California's mountains during the winter weather advisory were urged to check road conditions by calling (800) 427-7623 if inside California, or (916) 455-7623 if outside the state.

— City News Service contributed to this report / Image via Shutterstock