Light rain, snow and gusty winds expected in Riverside County

RIVERSIDE (CNS) - A chance of light rain will continue today throughout Riverside County and snow is expected to fall in the mountains as a storm moves through Southern California, according to the National Weather Service.

The low pressure system will continue moving southeast today before reaching Baja California by this evening, NWS meteorologist Miguel Miller said.

The storm is expected to produce around one-tenth of an inch of rain in the Coachella Valley, while less than one-tenth of an inch of rain is expected in the Riverside metropolitan area and the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning, Miller said.

The chance of measurable precipitation today has been set at 50% in the Riverside metropolitan area, 70% in the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning and 80% in the Coachella Valley.

Snow levels will drop to around 5,000 feet in Idyllwild today, where between 2-4 inches of snow is expected to fall, Miller said.

A winter weather advisory warning of potentially hazardous conditions in the mountains will be in effect until 4 a.m. Tuesday.

A wind advisory is also in effect in the mountains and the Riverside metropolitan area until 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Winds out of the northeast today are expected to be between 20-30 mph, with gusts possibly reaching 60 mph, according to the NWS.

NWS officials warned that those wind gusts could make travel difficult for high-profile vehicles driving through the Cajon and San Gorgonio Passes.

The rain is expected to stop by early this afternoon, then fair and seasonal weather will last through Friday, when a second storm system could bring another round of precipitation, Miller said.

High temperatures today could reach 67 degrees in Riverside, 67 in the San Gorgonio Pass, 67 in the Coachella Valley, 62 in Temecula and 63 in Hemet.