Weather
Will Lake Elsinore See More Rain? NWS Winter Storm Forecast
A second trough of low pressure was projected to slide across the Inland Empire, heading toward Arizona by Saturday.
LAKE ELSINORE, CA — Storm clouds that dumped flooding rains across Ventura and Los Angeles County have their sights set on the Inland Empire Thursday until Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch that will be in effect until Friday and a winter weather advisory that will be in effect from Thursday until Saturday.
Abundant rainfall is coming, the NWS said in a statement.
Find out what's happening in Lake Elsinore-Wildomarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"The beginning of the heavier rain will ... likely begin late Wednesday night and early Thursday in Riverside and San Diego counties. Most of the heavier precipitation will be convective due to the instability of the low pressure. Hourly rainfall rates of 1 inch appear in some of the (models) for Thursday night."
The flood watch runs until 4 p.m. Friday, while the winter weather advisory runs from 6 p.m. Thursday to 4 a.m. Saturday.
Find out what's happening in Lake Elsinore-Wildomarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Wet snow is expected above 6,500 feet, with total snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches at elevations from 6,500 to 7,500 feet, 3 to 6 inches from 7,500 to 8,000 feet, and 6 to 12 inches above 8,000 feet in the Riverside County Mountains.
As of 5 a.m., approximately 0.48 inches of rain was reported in Norco, and 0.47 inches was reported at Prado Dam.
Approximately 0.28 inches of rain was reported in Temecula, and 0.26 inches was reported at March Air Force Base.
Two troughs of low pressure will slide through California, with the current one exiting to the east Wednesday and the next one reaching the coast as an occluded front soon afterward, moving slowly across the region, gradually pushing into Arizona by Saturday, forecasters say.
The NWS predicted isolated thunderstorms, with the highest probability on Thursday and into Friday morning, the first day of winter.
"Snow levels will generally be above 7,000 feet through Friday but start to drop after that as moisture decreases, possibly to 6,000 feet Saturday," the NWS stated. "The highest roads and ski resorts will encounter accumulating snowfall, with Big Bear mostly receiving rain. Winds generally will not be an issue with this storm, but some gusts over 30 mph could occur in the mountains and deserts around Thursday."
According to meteorologists, temperatures will remain average throughout the storm series, with no influence from the Polar jet stream.
In the Riverside metropolitan area, highs will be in the mid-60s through Friday, with overnight temperatures in the low 50s.
In the Coachella Valley, the daytime mercury will hover around 70 and fall into the mid-50s overnight this week, while in the Temecula Valley, the temperature band will be virtually identical to Riverside metro, though the daytime high will peak in the upper 50s on Friday.
WEATHER FORECAST FOR LAKE ELSINORE:
Thursday
Showers likely, mainly after 4pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 67. South wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Thursday night
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 52. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northeast in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Friday
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 62. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Friday Night
A chance of showers, mainly before 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. West wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Saturday
A slight chance of showers before 10am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 44.
Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 64.
Sunday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 43.
Christmas Day
Sunny, with a high near 66.
Monday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 42.
Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 70.
Tuesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 43.
Wednesday
Partly sunny, with a high near 69.
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