Rain And Fall Weather In Forecast This Week

Cooler temperatures and scattered thunderstorms are in store for Riverside County later this week, forecasters said today.

A low pressure system off the California coast is expected to move slowly toward the east and southeast this week, bringing showers and a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms to the region late Wednesday night through early Thursday evening, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasters are predicting a 50 percent chance of scattered thunderstorms for Lake Elsinore Thursday.

General rainfall amounts will be up to half an inch but thunderstorms could produce heavy rainfall and small hail in some areas, forecasters reported. The snow level will likely drop to 6,500 to 7,000 feet Thursday evening, according to the NWS.

Daytime highs are expected to be 15 to 20 degrees below average, both in the inland valleys and in the mountains. In Lake Elsinore, Thursday's high is expected to top at 69 degrees. Daytime highs the rest of the week are predicted to be in the mid to high 70s, although today is forecast to be slightly warmer.

"This is a sharp contrast to early last week when high temperatures were 10 to 15 degrees above average and locally 20 degrees above average," according to an NWS advisory.