By Reginald Stanley. Posted March 25, 2022, 11:59 PM.

Temperatures across inland Southern California soared into the upper 80s and low 90s this week, particularly Thursday and Friday, under strong high pressure.

This week's heat peaked on Friday afternoon, where temperatures reached as high as 97 degrees at WeatherCurrents' station in Lake Elsinore. High temperatures in the low 90s and upper 80s were widespread elsewhere inland as well, which had been steadily increasing each day across the region since early in the week. Average temperatures on Thursday and Friday hovered around ten to fifteen degrees above normal for the time of year. The heat was expected to be less extreme Saturday as the high pressure ridge finally breaks down, and will be followed by a potentially significant storm system affecting the region primarily on Monday and Tuesday. The storm system, currently located south of the Aleutian Islands, is predicted to develop as it heads southeast towards Central California on Sunday, and reaching Southern California by Monday. This storm is forecast to feature two main waves of precipitation - the first being an atmospheric river event ahead of the low pressure system, then interacting with tropical the tropical jet stream. The brunt of the precipitation is expected mid-Monday through that evening, with some potential for convection.

Projected storm totals west of the mountains are between 1 and 1.5 inches in the valleys. If it materializes, it would be the first significant storm of 2022 and the most major event since late December, three months ago. The warm nature of the storm is expected to keep snow levels relatively high, mostly above 7000 feet above sea level during the heaviest precipitation. However, by Monday evening when the convection potential is highest, snow levels could fall to around 5500 feet. Weather forecasts for later next week remain uncertain at this time.