Rain and wind expected Thursday in Coachella Valley; SoCal to see multiple storms soon

February will likely get off to a wet start in the Coachella Valley, with the area expected to see rain and cooler temperatures Thursday, just days after the temperature hit 80 degrees.

The National Weather Service is forecasting a storm that it says will arrive in the area around midday Thursday and drop between a quarter and a half an inch of rain by Friday morning, meteorologist Casey Oswant said.

The rain is the result of an "atmospheric river," which Oswant said is a weather system consisting of a “river” of water vapor in the atmosphere. That system’s impacts are likely to be strongest on the coast, with San Diego, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara all expected to receive between one and two inches of rain.

Besides rain, the storm will also likely produce wind could also produce wind gusts of as 20 mph in central Palm Springs and Indio and 30 mph in the San Gorgonio Pass. Those winds are likely to be strongest late Thursday afternoon and evening, she said.

The rain should be finished by Friday morning, with the valley expected to see clear skies and highs of around 65 degrees.

That break from the rain is looking to be short lived, though, as the weather service says it is expecting another system to impact much of Southern California, including the Coachella Valley, starting on Sunday night. Oswant said Tuesday that the agency is still working to project the details on that system, but expects the Coachella Valley will see rain Sunday night into Monday.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a “key message” stating that between Sunday, Feb. 4, and Saturday, Feb. 10, an atmospheric river event was expected to bring heavy rain and high winds to Southern California and the southwest, along with heavy snow at higher elevations.

The agency said the weather could be unpredictable and impact travel conditions throughout the region and said people should pay attention to forecasts in the coming day as impacts for specific areas could vary.

Similarly, Oswant said it was too early to determine what the storm would look in the Coachella Valley and that the impact and severity of this storm would depend on how quickly Thursday’s storm moves through.

“We are still working out the amounts, but it does look like at least some rain will make it to the Coachella Valley early next week,” Oswant said.

Paul Albani-Burgio covers growth, development and business in the Coachella Valley. Follow him on Twitter at @albaniburgiop and email him at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Rain and wind expected Thursday in Palm Springs area