By Reginald Stanley. Posted November 23, 2025, 10:53 PM.

Two weather systems swept across California last week; the first as a low pressure trough Monday night through Tuesday morning, the second as a cutoff low during Thursday and Friday. These events brought rain and mountain snow to the region.

The first storm arrived Monday evening for most of the Inland Empire (earlier for Simi Valley), bringing light-to-moderate rainfall to the region, as well as modest snow levels around 6,500 feet above sea level. Rainfall tapered off throughout Southern California early Tuesday morning, although sporadic light showers remained in some parts of the region for the remainder of the day, but most communities were dry. Precipitation totals from this storm ranged widely, from 0.13 inches in Anza to as high as 0.98 inches in Simi Valley. In Temecula Valley's Wine Country, 0.59 inches was reported (courtesy of Jim Sappington). In Riverside's Canyon Crest neighborhood, 0.49 inches was reported (courtesy of Jim Ness).

The following storm system, a slow-moving cutoff low, moved into Southern California by Thursday morning, with rain arriving for most of the region that evening. Rain continued overnight, heavy at times, into Friday morning - however, the cutoff low's location over northern Baja California and subsequent wrap-around moisture had traveled over the deserts first, moving west over the mountains before reaching the inland valleys and coasts. As a result, some areas experienced rain shadowing from mountains to their east (the eastern valleys, especially Hemet, were victim of major rain shadowing from the San Jacinto Mountains in this way) while their desert counterparts east of the mountains observed more rain. Fallbrook was possibly rain shadowed by Agua Tibia Mountain to its east. In contrast, locations that are normally drier, such as Pinon Hills and Anza, were both among the wettest locations during this system in the WeatherCurrents network. In Pinon Hills, 1.19 inches was recorded between Thursday and Saturday; while Anza recorded 0.77 inches during that same timeframe. Other inland communities were not as affected by the storm's orographics, and recorded totals mostly between 0.3 and 0.7 inches. Some residual light showers persisted in parts of the region Saturday morning, mainly being confined to the mountains and foothills.

Following clearer, drier weather on Sunday, this Thanksgiving week is forecast to be mildly warm and dry, with high temperatures in the 70s under sunny skies on Thanksgiving Day itself. A return to cool, unsettled weather is possible next weekend as a low pressure trough takes aim at the state.

Here are the rain totals for the WeatherCurrents network and associates:

1. French Valley season total incomplete.