Scattered showers to linger throughout region today

RIVERSIDE - Just a few scattered showers lingered throughout Riverside County early today as the year's first fall storm slowly made its exit to the east.

The low pressure system made landfall in the region late Wednesday, lingering into early Thursday and dropping temperatures 10 to 20 degrees below normal.

Though mostly light to moderate showers are expected today, brief heavy downpours are possible, according to a National Weather Service advisory. The agency urged motorists to slow down on wet roads.

The weekend is expected to bring a gradual warming trend along with fair weather, NWS meteorologist Tina Stall said.

Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms to continue through tonight

ORANGE COUNTY COASTAL AREAS-SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS-

SAN BERNARDINO AND Riverside COUNTY VALLEYS-THE INLAND EMPIRE-SAN DIEGO COUNTY VALLEYS-SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-Riverside COUNTY MOUNTAINS-SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS-SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-APPLE AND LUCERNE VALLEYS-COACHELLA VALLEY-SAN DIEGO COUNTY DESERTS-

Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms to continue through tonight

The first Pacific Storm system will continue to move across Southern California through tonight with just a few lingering showers into Friday.

* Daytime temperatures: 5 to 10 degrees below normal along the coast...and 10 to 20 degrees below normal inland.

* Overnight temperatures: up to 10 degrees below normal.

* Timing of the precipitation: scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms will continue to develop over the coastal waters and spread inland through the overnight hours. Just a few lingering showers into Friday.

* Thunderstorm potential: isolated thunderstorms may produce dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning, small hail, and brief heavy rain through this evening. Waterspouts are possible over the coastal waters and along the immediate coast.

* Precipitation amounts: highly variable across the region...but generally one-tenth to one-half inch for the remainder of the storm. Locally higher amounts will be possible with the heavier showers. In the deserts-less than a quarter of an inch possible.

* Snow levels: 6000 to 7000 feet.

* Snowfall accumulation: one to three inches locally with strong showers. Otherwise, a dusting down to around 6000 feet.

Stay tuned to NOAA weather radio, the National Weather Service website at weather.gov/sandiego...or local media for updates.

Riverside - An eastward-moving Pacific system is expected to bring cooler weather with scattered showers and thunderstorms to Riverside County today.

The system began moving south along the California coast Wednesday night and will move inland across Southern California late tonight, according to the National Weather Service.

Daytime temperatures today will be in the 60s in valley areas, the 40s and 50s in the mountains, the 60s in the high deserts and in the 70s to low 80s in the lower deserts, the NWS said.

General rainfall amounts from the system are expected to be a tenth to a half-inch, with some areas seeing more depending on where any thunderstorms strike.

The current 7,000-feet snow level will drop to around 6,500 feet this evening, according to the weather service.