Rain Forecast for County this Weekend

A chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms is in the forecast for portions of Riverside County again Friday and into the weekend as a nearly stationary low pressure trough continues to affect the region.

On Thursday, a few strong storms caused lightning throughout the county and minor street flooding in the Coachella Valley.

National Weather Service meteorologists said there would be a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the valleys around Riverside, the mountains and along the San Gorgonio Pass through Friday night and again Saturday afternoon and evening. The precipitation could persist in the mountains through Sunday night.

In the Coachella Valley, forecasters said there would be an about 40 percent chance of measurable precipitation through Friday night, but rain was not in this weekend’s forecast.

“A low pressure trough over Southern California along with deep subtropical moisture will keep a chance for scattered thunderstorms going through (Friday,) mainly in the mountains and deserts,” according to the weather service. “Over the weekend, a second trough from the Pacific will bring more chances for mainly mountains and desert thunderstorms.”

But forecasters said the second low pressure trough could contain enough moisture to keep the chances for rain going into early next week. Later next week, easterly flow between the low pressure trough and high pressure building over the Great Basin is expected to bring drier and unseasonably warm weather.

--City News Service, photos courtesy Scott Padgett