Below Average Temps Expected in Murrieta Thru Weekend

Temperatures throughout the Inland Empire will be slipping below average, with a chance of rain possible, as regional weather patterns shift, forecasters said this week.

“A broad trough of low pressure ... will bring periods of cool and showery weather through Friday,” according to the National Weather Service. “For a change, high temperatures will be below average across southwest California through the weekend.”

After peaking around 80 Tuesday, the forecast high in Riverside Wednesday is 75 degrees. It’s expected to remain about the same into Sunday, according to the Weather Service. Lows will hover in the upper 50s.

Forecasters said drizzly conditions and overcast skies would begin Tuesday and continue into early Wednesday afternoon. Fog may be present in some locations, including the Perris, San Jacinto and Temecula valleys.

Here’s the specific forecast for Murrieta from the National Weather Service:

• Wednesday Afternoon: Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. Southwest wind around 10 mph.
• Wednesday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable in the evening.
• Thursday: Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 78. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.
• Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable in the evening.
• Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 76. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming southwest in the morning.
• Friday Night: A chance of drizzle after 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52.
• Saturday: A chance of drizzle before 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 77.

The long-range forecast calls for a slight warming trend after the weekend, though temperatures are generally expected to top out in the low 80s in western Riverside County.

The Coachella Valley will see the mercury peak in the mid-80s this week, with a gradual climb to the upper 80s early next week, according to the NWS.

— City News Service contributed to this report.