Plan Your Lake Elsinore: Cooler Temperatures, Light Rain Coming

LAKE ELSINORE, CA —Light rain and winds are returning to Riverside County this week, according to the National Weather Service. The latest forecast said that a cross-California storm front will sweep across the Golden State and the Inland Empire in advance of the weekend.

The coming storm is thanks to an incoming low-pressure system spinning out of the Gulf of Alaska.

Stiff onshore winds will drag moisture into the region Thursday raising the likelihood of high wind advisories in advance of the rain.

"The mountains and deserts will be windy at times this week," the NWS said in a statement Monday. "The winds will be strongest in the mountain passes, including the San Gorgonio Pass. Winds also will be gusty and strong in the deserts."

According to the NWS, wind speeds will generally be between 20 and 30 mph, with gusts as high as 60 mph in the most wind-prone locations Tuesday and through the night.

"A deep cold trough will move across Southern California Thursday night and Friday, bringing more strong winds, along with a chance of showers," the Weather Service stated.

Prognostication charts published by the NWS showed that the bulk of showery activity is likely in the predawn hours of Friday. However, rainfall totals are predicted to be low, with less than a tenth of an inch in most locations.

High temperatures in the Riverside metropolitan area are expected to be in the low to mid-70s Monday to Friday, with the mercury climbing back to 80 by the weekend. Lows will generally hover around 50 degrees this week.

In the Coachella Valley, the highs will peak in the mid-90s Monday and gradually decline, topping out in the upper 70s Friday, with lows in the mid-50s throughout the week.

In the Temecula Valley, the highs will be in the low 70s Monday and Tuesday, dropping below 70 by Wednesday, with the peak daytime temperature at about 63 on Friday. Lows will be in the upper 40s all week, according to the NWS.