Snow Hits Riverside County As Levels Drop To 6-Year Low

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Riverside County residents awoke to a winter wonderland on Thursday morning, as snow levels reached their lowest levels in years. National Weather Service officials tell Patch that snow was reported as low as 2,500 feet — which hasn't happened since January of 2013.

Morongo Valley saw an inch of snow, while the higher elevations saw several inches. In Cherry Valley, a small white layer blanketed the rolling hills. All around the Riverside County valleys, nearby mountains shimmered white.

In Big Bear, an estimated eight to 12 inches of snow fell.

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Here are the snowfall reports that the NWS has received for the Southland since Wednesday:

On Thursday, Southern Californians can expect the winter weather to continue.

Forecasters are calling for heavy snow, with an accumulations of three to seven inches in the San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino county mountains. The snow level may get as low as 2,000 feet by Thursday night.

"A cold low pressure system over the southwest states will continue periods of snow showers into this evening, decreasing from the northwest late tonight," the NWS said. "Snow showers could linger near the mountains into Friday."

From Wednesday evening through Thursday evening, the current storm could drop up to a foot of snow near the top of Mt. San Jacinto, up to 10 inches in Idyllwild and around 3 inches near Anza, forecasters said. The foothills in the Inland Empire and surrounding areas near Hemet could get a dusting of snow as the snow level drops Thursday evening.

As for rainfall, in a 24-hour period ending around 3 a.m. Thursday, Beaumont had received the highest precipitation total, with 0.38 inches, followed by 0.35 in the Temescal Valley; 0.27 in Lake Elsinore; 0.24 in Riverside; and 0.15 in Temecula, according to the NWS. The highest total for the Coachella Valley was 0.16 near Palm Canyon Creek, southwest of Cathedral City.

The Riverside metropolitan area could get up to a quarter-inch of rain Thursday while around seven-tenths of an inch is expected in Temecula and two- tenths of an inch is forecast for Lake Elsinore and the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning, forecasters said. Less than one-tenth of an inch of rain is expected in the Coachella Valley.

Sunny skies are expected Friday, but temperatures will remain well below average because the region remains under a cold air mass, the NWS said.

— Bay City News Service contributed to this report