Moderate Rain With Thunderstorms In Inland Valleys Wednesday; Minimal Flood Danger For Burn Areas

RIVERSIDE (CNS) - A Pacific storm hanging over the Inland Empire today will bring light to moderate rain and a chance of thunderstorms, forecasters said.
   The cold trough moving east across Southern California will drop scattered showers early this morning before the rainfall becomes more widespread through early this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
   Thunderstorms are possible early this morning in the eastern portions of the Inland Empire, forecasters said.
   The storm system could drop up to a half-inch of rain in the Riverside metropolitan area and Temecula today, around three-tenths of an inch in Lake Elsinore and up to a half-inch in the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning, according to the NWS.
   Idyllwild could get up to an inch of rain while the Coachella Valley is expected to get less than one-tenth of an inch.
   In a 24-hour period ending around 3 a.m., Beaumont received the most rainfall, at 0.12 of an inch, followed by 0.08 in Murrieta, 0.07 in Lake Elsinore, 0.06 in Riverside and 0.04 in Temecula, according to the NWS.
   Snow levels will remain above 8,000 feet today then begin gradually dropping to 4,500 feet on Friday, NWS Meteorologist Miguel Miller said.
   ``By the time the snow levels drop below 5,000 feet most of the moisture will have left the region, leaving little chance of snow accumulation in the mountain communities,'' Miller said.
   The inclement weather prompted the NWS to issue a winter weather advisory for the county mountains above 7,000 feet that will last through 1a.m. Thursday.
   NWS officials warned that visibility could be low at times because of snow and fog and wet snow on the roads could make driving difficult.
   There will be a brief break between storm systems Thursday afternoon then another cold trough will move into the region Thursday night, bringing scattered showers late Thursday night into Friday morning, Miller said.
   It is unlikely that flooding, mud and debris flows will develop around the Cleveland National Forest and the Temescal Valley, according to the Riverside County Emergency Management Department.
   More information is available at www.rivcoready.org.
   A wide area skirting the eastern boundary of the Cleveland National Forest was left exposed to potential flood and mud damage because of the 23,000- acre Holy Fire in August. The arson blaze denuded steep terrain below Santiago Peak, permitting water to flow unchecked onto lower slopes where subdivisions are situated.
   Heavy rainfall on Valentine's Day resulted in significant flooding, prompting street closures and evacuations. A homeless woman died Feb. 14 when she was swept away by a heavy water flow in a concrete stormwater channel in Riverside, and several homes in Lake Elsinore were damaged by the downpour.