Strong Winds, Rain Expected in Lake Elsinore, Wildomar Tuesday

Parts of Riverside County could see as much as a quarter-inch of rain when a fast-moving storm rolls through Tuesday.

A system originating in the Gulf of Alaska made landfall in Northern California Monday and is expected to reach Southern California Tuesday evening, with rainfall in the Inland Empire likely in the late-night hours, National Weather Service meteorologist Noel Isla said.

He told City News Service the system will weaken as it pushes through, and the heaviest rainfall will occur in the foothills and mountains.

“The Riverside area is looking at a few hundredths of an inch to a quarter-inch of precipitation,” Isla said. “There may be up to two inches of snow at the higher elevations.”

Here’s the full forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday in Lake Elsinore:

• Tuesday A 20 percent chance of showers after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 65. Light and variable wind becoming southwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
• Tuesday Night Showers likely before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
• Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 68. South wind around 5 mph.
• Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 44. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

The Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for the inland region, with gusts as high as 55 mph anticipated in the Banning Pass and along desert slopes as the low pressure system rotates eastward.

Drivers of high-profile vehicles were warned to take precautions.

Temperatures will stay on the cool side, with highs in the mid-60s and lows in the mid-40s until later in the week when a warming trend will begin, forecasters said.

According to Isla, storms continue to be a possibility for the next month as the rainy season winds down.

NWS data showed that since Jan. 1, the Riverside metropolitan area has recorded 1.55 inches of precipitation. The January-March normal is 8.11 inches, but because of the drought, that value hasn’t been attained in the last few years.

Data showed that in Palm Springs, 1.22 inches of rain has fallen since Jan. 1 -- an improvement over this time last year, when only 0.7 inches had been recorded. The average is 2.66 inches.

– City News Service contributed to this report. Image via Shutterstock.