RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Thunderstorms are possible across the Inland Empire beginning Wednesday night and continuing through Thursday, when a cold front will sweep the region, potentially generating an inch or more of precipitation, according to the National Weather Service.
"Cold air aloft with a low pressure system passing over near-record warm water off the coast will increase instability," the NWS said in a statement Monday. "Rainfall could range from around 1 inch for the ... coastal plain, to around 1.5 inches on the coastal slopes of the mountains."
The weather service said the trough of low pressure, now anchored off the coast of Northern California, will push southward Tuesday, reaching Southern California by Wednesday night, bringing "showers and a chance of thunderstorms" until Thursday night.
No flood watches or wind warnings had been posted as of Monday morning. However, onshore wind flows are expected to increase, with gusty conditions possible as the frontal boundary races past.
Temperatures will drop appreciably Thursday and Friday, then return to seasonable levels for the weekend, according to meteorologists.
In the Riverside metropolitan area, the daytime highs Monday and Tuesday will peak in the mid-80s, followed by overnight lows at or just below 60. Wednesday's high will top out in the upper 70s, with lows in the upper 50s. The temperature range Thursday and Friday will be upper 60s to low 50s, with upper 70s to mid-50s through the weekend.
For the Coachella Valley, temps will reach the low 90s Monday and Tuesday, with nighttime temps in the upper 60s. Wednesday's high will edge toward the mid-80s, followed by the mid-60s at night, and Thursday and Friday, the mercury will range from upper 70s to upper 50s. The low 80s to low 60s are in store for the weekend.
In the Temecula Valley, the temperature band will be a close approximation of the Riverside area's for the entire week.
Another chance of precipitation is possible next week, though forecast models have yet to solidify, according to the NWS.
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