Rain forecast for the desert

Intense rainstorms are predicted into Thursday evening, according to the National Weather Service.

A flash flood watch is in effect for the Inland Empire and San Bernardino from 11 p.m. to an unspecified hour Thursday night.

Rainfall rates could reach up to an inch per hour at different intervals, according to the NWS. Total rainfall is predicted to range between four and seven inches, meteorologists said.

The Corona, Hemet, Riverside, Murrieta and Riverside County fire departments are offering sandbags to residents seeking to shore up their properties.

Forecasters said a low-pressure system bearing down on the region, fueled by subtropical moisture, will produce the winter-like rain event, which will make a slow exit Friday morning.

Temperatures will remain moderate, keeping snow levels near mountain tops.

Desert areas will not receive the volume of precipitation expected along the coasts and in some inland locations.

Rain should reach the Coachella Valley on Thursday morning, with meteorologists forecasting moderate storm activity.