Inland Empire Swift Water Rescue Teams Save Drivers Amid Downpour

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The Inland Empire will be in the grip of another winter storm packing heavy rain and gusty winds Wednesday, with flash flooding possible in some locations, according to the National Weather Service.

In Menifee, just after 8:15 a.m. four people were rescued after their car became submerged in one foot of water near Matthews Road and Palomar Road, according to a spokesperson for Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department.

Water Rescue - 8:19am Matthews Rd X Palomar Rd, Menifee. Firefighters responded to a vehicle submerged in 1 foot of water. 4 occupants were rescued from the vehicle. #MatthewsIC pic.twitter.com/UZWt2vtxgg
— CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department (@CALFIRERRU) March" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/CALFIRERRU... 15, 2023

"A trough of low pressure with an associated atmospheric river will bring widespread precipitation, along with gusty westerly winds, in the mountains and deserts, beginning Tuesday and going through Wednesday," NWS officials said. "Rain is expected to spread across the area Tuesday and Tuesday night, then decrease from the northwest Wednesday afternoon and evening."

A flood advisory was in effect in parts of Riverside County until 4:30 a.m. with urban and small stream flooding caused by excessive rainfall expected.

Cal Fire's swift water rescue team rescued one person from a vehicle in swift-moving water at Beach and 58th streets in Jurupa Valley on Wednesday.

Your CAL FIRE/Riverside County Firefighters have responded to numerous water rescues this morning. Keep you and your family safe, Turn Around, Don’t Drown! pic.twitter.com/uP5ZBE76kt

— CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department (@CALFIRERRU) March" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/CALFIRERRU... 15, 2023

The inclement weather is in line with a pattern that has produced rain and snow across the region for the past month, almost weekly.

Parts of the IE were drenched on Friday as a Pacific trough unloaded its energy before rotating eastward.

Meteorologists said at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, between and half-inch and 1 inch of rain has fallen over the past 12 hours. Additional rainfall of between a half-inch and 1 inch is expected in the area, with rainfall rates of 0.2 inches and 0.3 inches per hour through the morning.

The mountain communities of Idyllwild-Pine Cove and Mountain Center, as well as the San Gorgonio Pass, were specifically referenced in the watch.

"Snow levels will rise above 9,000 feet Tuesday afternoon, then fall to around 6,500 feet Wednesday afternoon," according to the NWS. "That would mostly limit snowfall to above 7,000 feet and mostly on Wednesday afternoon."

Mountain communities have been contending with impassable roads and other hazards stemming from the weeks-long storm series. Although most Riverside County communities at higher elevations have dug out, communities in and around the San Bernardino National Forest north of the San Gorgonio Pass continue to deal with weather-related impacts and complications.

Forecasters said that after Wednesday, the region will catch a brief respite before weaker storm systems advance toward Southern California, bringing additional precipitation, most of it scattered and light, into the weekend.

Daytime temperatures in the Riverside metro area on Tuesday will be 65 degrees, while on Wednesday, the mercury will settle around 60, with lows in the low 50s Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

In the Coachella Valley, temperatures will top out in the mid to upper 70s Tuesday and Wednesday, with lows in the low to mid 50s, while in the Temecula Valley, temps will peak in the mid 60s on Tuesday and the mid 50s on Wednesday, with lows in the mid to upper 40s, according to the NWS.