Much of Riverside County will remain under a red flag warning through Saturday thanks to continued gusty winds and low humidity levels that are making conditions ripe for wildfires.

The red flag warning took effect Wednesday night and will remain in effect until 10 p.m. Saturday in Riverside County mountains and valleys and across the Inland Empire.

According to the National Weather Service, the region can expect winds of 15 to 25 mph, with gusts of 40 to 50 mph possible. Forecasters noted that the strongest winds will be Friday morning and begin to weaken.

“Winds this afternoon (Friday) through Saturday evening will not be nearly as strong nor widespread,” according to the NWS.

However, the NWS warned that humidity levels will remain low and gusty winds could kick up again early next week.

“Another round of Santa Ana winds is likely on Monday and Tuesday,” according to the NWS. “This event does not look to be as strong as the last event, generally weak to moderate in strength. Inland humidity will drop to 10 to 15 percent for Monday and Tuesday.”

The gusting winds will raise the possibility that some Southern California Edison customers might lose electricity as part of a Public Safety Power Shutoff program designed to de-energize power lines that might be damaged by the gusty conditions and spark wildfires. As of Friday morning, 629 SCE customers in Riverside County were without power under the program.

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