Santa Ana winds reaching speeds of 55 mph are expected Wednesday evening and through Thursday in the Inland Empire, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a Wind Advisory for the region.
“Gusty northeast winds will develop late tonight along and below the mountains, then spread southward … with the winds continuing into Thursday afternoon,” according to an NWS statement. “The strongest gusts will be near and below the Cajon Pass and in the San Diego mountains, with 50 to 55 mph possible.”
Forecasters said that the winds will average 20-30 mph. The Wind Advisory begins at midnight and will terminate at 4 p.m. Thursday.
Three Santa Ana windstorms blasted the region in January, and since the beginning of this month, milder east wind events have occurred.
According to prognostication charts published by the Weather Service, high pressure ridges sliding across the Great Basin Thursday will power the latest round of Santa Anas. The systems are predicted to dominate weather patterns going into the weekend, though winds will slacken after Friday.
By Sunday, a trough of low pressure will swoop into Southern California from the Pacific Northwest, bringing another shot of light to moderate precipitation Sunday night and Monday, according to the NWS.
In the Riverside metropolitan area, temperatures are expected to peak in the low to mid 70s Wednesday to Sunday, with lows in the mid 40s. In the Coachella Valley, the highs will hover in the mid- to upper 70s, with lows in the upper 40s, and in the Temecula Valley, temperatures will top out in the low 70s and fall overnight to the low 40s for the rest of the week, according to forecasters.