The Rain is Coming, Banning! Wet, Cool Weather on Tap, NWS Says

BANNING, CA — Weather forecasters are warning area residents that rain is likely on the way to much of Riverside County, including Banning and Beaumont.

Starting Wednesday, a slight chance of rain in the evening hours is in the forecast for Riverside metro areas, the surrounding valleys and the mountains. The possibility of precipitation will spread overnight to the San Gorgonio Pass zone, which includes the cities of Banning and Desert Hot Springs, and to the Coachella Valley on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasters said roadways throughout the Inland Empire may be slick during Thursday morning's commute.

Here's the full forecast for Banning for the coming days, courtesy of the National Weather Service:

Today
Mostly sunny, with a high near 56. West wind around 10 mph.

Tonight
A 40 percent chance of rain after 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47. West wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Thursday
Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Thursday Night
A 50 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. Southwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Friday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 57. Southwest wind around 10 mph.

Friday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 43.

Saturday
Partly sunny, with a high near 60.

Saturday Night
A slight chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51.

Sunday
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 66.

Sunday Night
A slight chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54.

Predicted rainfall amounts through Thursday night range from a hundredth of an inch or so in the deserts to about a quarter-inch in the valleys around Riverside to between a half-inch and eight-tenths of an inch in the mountains, according to the weather service. The snow level is expected to remain above 7,000 feet.

Strong winds with gusts of 40 to 45 miles per hour are also expected overnight in the mountains and on Thursday in the Coachella Valley and along the San Gorgonio Pass. Only light winds are expected in the valleys around Riverside.

The bout of inclement weather is expected to end early Friday, according to the NWS.

— City News Service contributed to this report / Image via Shutterstock