A storm system moving across Southern California on Monday, February 16, brought rain to the desert and snow to nearby mountains, with more precipitation expected in the coming days.
By midday, cloudy skies and persistent rain were forming in the western Coachella Valley, with temperatures cooler than in recent days.
“We’re currently seeing the full force of (the storm) coming in,” Chandler Price, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s San Diego office, said Monday afternoon.
He added: “After that we’ll have showers tomorrow (Tuesday) morning before clearing up mid-to-late morning and then maybe 10 hours of clear skies before the next (system) roars in late Tuesday into early Wednesday.”
Total rainfall in Palm Springs area
As of around 3 p.m. Monday, Palm Springs International Airport recorded 0.10 inches of rain, while Thousand Palms in the mid-valley recorded 0.12 inches.
As of Monday afternoon, only light rain (0.02 inches) was recorded at Indian Palms Country Club in eastern Indio.
Total rainfall in the Riverside area
Rainfall totals were ranging across the Riverside area as of 3 p.m.
The north side of Riverside has received about 0.15 inches of rain, while Jurupa Valley, west of Riverside, has received 0.57 inches of rain so far.
“There’s quite a lot of scope there (on the riverfront),” Price said.
How much snow does it snow in Idyllwild on Big Bear Island?
A winter storm warning was in effect until noon Wednesday in the nearby San Jacinto and San Gorgonio mountains, where up to 3 feet of snow could fall in higher elevations.
“Travel may be very difficult or impossible,” the weather service said in a winter weather advisory. “Hazardous conditions may affect the Monday night and Tuesday morning commute. Strong winds may cause extensive tree damage.”
Price said that by Monday afternoon, snow was beginning to cover roads above 6,000 feet in the Idyllwild-Pine Cove area, but he added that the weather service had not yet provided accurate precipitation totals.
Snow also fell in the Big Bear area Monday afternoon, but the total amount was unclear. Lake Arrowhead, which is slightly lower in elevation than Big Bear Lake, had received 2 inches of rain as of 3 p.m.
Palm Springs, Riverside Area Weather Forecast
Palm Springs could see another tenth of an inch of rain by Tuesday morning, Price said, with less rain expected in the central and southern parts of the valley.
Riverside and other areas of the Inland Empire could see higher precipitation amounts, possibly up to an inch by early Wednesday.
“After 6 a.m. Wednesday, it’s really going to start to taper off, and then by noon, we’re going to see completely dry conditions,” Price said.
Daytime temperatures will drop significantly by Tuesday and remain cooler through the rest of the week, with temperatures hovering in the upper 50s in downtown Riverside, Temecula and Hemet. In the Coachella Valley and Palm Springs, temperatures are expected to remain in the mid-60s.
Overnight temperatures will remain in the 40s throughout much of Riverside County this week.
Another system could hit the region on Thursday, potentially bringing more rain to the Inland Empire, though Price said the amounts would likely be weaker than the storms earlier in the week.
By next weekend, temperatures across the county are expected to rise a few degrees, with highs in the 60s and lows in the 70s.
City Press contributed to this report.
Tom Coulter is a reporter for The Desert Sun. Please contact him at thomas.coulter@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared in Palm Springs Desert Sun: Check out rain, snow totals for Palm Springs and mountains as storm approaches