Gusty winds, rain heading into Palm Springs area

Rain, gusty winds and possibly thunderstorms are in store for Riverside County late Wednesday into early Thursday, forecaster said today.

A low pressure system off the coast is expected to move inland across Southern California and Northern Baja, coming into the Palm Springs area Wednesday evening, according to the National Weather Service. The system will move east and weaken on Thursday, the agency advised.

Rainfall totals from the storm are expected to range from a half- to three-quarters of an inch in the valleys to one to two inches in the mountains.

In addition to rain, southwest winds are expected to gust to around 50 miles per hour in the mountains Wednesday afternoon and evening, mainly near the ridge tops and along deserts slopes.

The storm will drop the snow level in Riverside County to 6,000-7,000 feet Wednesday night and Thursday, with a few inches of snowfall possible on the highest peaks, the NWS advised.