Another Winter Storm with Rain, Snow Headed to Inland Empire

A late season storm is expected to hit Riverside County late Thursday, bringing with it mountain snow and rain elsewhere in the region.

Patchy drizzle could begin in the valleys overnight, but National Weather Service meteorologists said the storm would drop usher in an initial round of precipitation over Riverside, Orange and San Bernardino counties Thursday afternoon. Gusty wind in the mountains and deserts is also expected Thursday.

Snow levels are expected to fall from around 7,000 feet Thursday afternoon to 6,000 feet that night, forecasters said.

The storm will let up some Thursday night, but a second round of rain is expected Friday. Forecasters said a few showers could stick around into the weekend.

Up to 1.25 inches of rain is expected in the valleys through Saturday morning. The mountains could get 2.25 inches of rain and the deserts may get around three-tenths of an inch.

In the Coachella Valley, a slight chance of showers was forecast for Thursday night along with wind gusts that could reach 45 miles per hour. A slight chance of thunderstorms was predicted for Friday afternoon and night.

Forecasters predicted 1 to 3 inches of snow would fall in mountain areas with altitudes between 6,000 and 6,500 feet, 3 to 6 inches in areas up to 7,500 feet and 6 to 10 inches higher than 7,500 feet. The highest mountain peaks could get up to a foot of snow, according to the NWS.

The storm is expected to move eastward late Saturday morning.