Cooler temperatures and showers 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 slight chance of thunderstorms to Southern California late Wednesday night through early Thursday evening, according to the National Weather Service.
As of Monday, the weather service's seven-day forceast for Murrieta showed a 40 percent chance of rain after 11 p.m. Wednesday. There was a 50 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms for Thursday.
Forecasters said general rainfall amounts will be up to half an inch but thunderstorms could produce heavy rainfall and small hail in some areas. 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 Murrieta, the forecast called for a high of 80 degrees on Monday, 79 on Tuesday, 74 Wednesday and 67 Thursday.
"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.
—Maggie Avants contributed to this report.
