Santa Ana winds gusting to 60 mph are forecast in the Inland Empire Wednesday evening and through most of Thursday, prompting the National Weather Service to post a wind advisory for the region.
“Winds in the windier locations will gust to around 50 mph this evening and to 60 mph for late tonight into Thursday morning,” according to an NWS statement. “Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down, and a few power outages may result.”
The advisory is in effect from 10 p.m. Wednesday to 4 p.m. Thursday. Forecasters said the winds will average 20-25 mph, with the most intense gusts in canyons and mountain passes.
The offshore slipstream is being powered by the same dominant high pressure systems ratcheting up heat throughout Southern California, which led to the NWS issuing a heat advisory, beginning 11 a.m. Wednesday and ending 6 p.m. Sunday.
Several ridges are forecast to trundle over the Great Basin in Nevada and Utah from midweek into the weekend, thrusting all wet weather aside, resulting in clear skies and rising mercury, according to prognostication charts published by the NWS.
In the Riverside metropolitan area and the Coachella Valley, the highs are predicted to be in the mid 80s from Wednesday to Sunday, with lows in the mid 50s. In the Temecula Valley, temperatures will peak in the low 80s and fall overnight to the low 50s for the remainder of the week, according to the NWS.
“High temperatures are expected to be the warmest for inland Orange County into the western Inland Empire … with the warmest locations near 90 degrees,” the agency stated.
Meteorologists advised anyone planning outdoor activity to be aware of the unseasonably warm conditions and take precautions, such as staying hydrated.
Another Santa Ana event is anticipated Friday night.