By Reginald Stanley. Posted March 11, 2021, 2:40 PM.

Atmospheric instability and very cold temperatures associated with the current storm has produced a barrage of hailstorms over Murrieta and some nearby areas Thursday afternoon.

Hail was first reported in western Murrieta shortly after 1 PM local time Thursday afternoon, beginning a pattern of hailstorms moving over Murrieta consistently during the following several hours. Doppler radar returns indicated small but powerful storm cells forming over parts the Santa Ana Mountains and moving eastward, impacting Murrieta the hardest. This has adversely affected driving conditions in the area. East of Murrieta, French Valley was also affected. Hail was also reported further north, near Perris.