Flash Flood Warning Issued For Coachella Valley

UPDATE: The National Weather Service has elevated its initial flash flood forecast for the Coachella Valley to include:

• Flash Flood Watch until March 12, 09:00 PM PDT
• Flash Flood Warning in effect from March 12, 12:59 PM PDT until March 12, 04:00 PM PDT
• Flood Advisory in effect from March 12, 12:31 PM PDT until March 12, 06:30 PM PDT

ORIGINAL POST BELOW:

COACHELLA VALLEY, CA — The Coachella Valley is forecast to get wild weather Thursday.

More rain showers are expected Thursday across Riverside County and there is a chance of thunderstorms Thursday afternoon everywhere, including the Coachella Valley.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch that will be in effect from noon Thursday through Friday morning everywhere except the Coachella Valley, which will be under a flash flood watch from noon Thursday through Thursday evening.

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The low-pressure system making its way inland is expected to produce heavy rainfall at times, which could cause flooding in low-lying areas with poor drainage and desert mountain slopes, forecasters said.

A chance of rain will last through Sunday afternoon everywhere except the Coachella Valley, where the rain is expected to stop Friday afternoon.

Rainfall totals through Sunday are expected to reach 1 inch in the Riverside metropolitan area, 2.5 inches in the county mountains, 2 inches in the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning and six-tenths of an inch in the Coachella Valley, according to the NWS.

Snow levels will drop to around 6,000 feet on Friday morning and Saturday night, meaning Idyllwild could get a few inches of the white powder.

High temperatures Thursday are expected to reach 69 degrees in Riverside, 71 in the San Gorgonio Pass and the Coachella Valley, 49 in Idyllwild, 63 in Temecula and 65 in Hemet.

The storm system is expected to move east out of the region by Sunday afternoon, then another storm system will bring a chance of light rain from Sunday night through Wednesday night throughout the county, forecasters said.

—City News Service contributed to this report.