Shifting weather patterns will produce a taste of summer, along with stiff Santa Ana winds, followed by a cooling trend and the possibility of rain throughout the Inland Empire this week and weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
The agency said a bundle of high pressure ridges sliding across the Great Basin of Nevada and Utah will push up temperatures — possibly matching or breaking a few records — by the middle of the week.
The surging mercury will coincide with a wind event, generating “gusty Santa Ana winds … as early as Wednesday evening, peaking Thursday afternoon,” the NWS said in a statement.
The northeasterly winds are expected to exceed 40 mph in mountains and passes, including the San Gorgonio Pass, according to the Weather Service.
“Elevated fire weather conditions will be possible both days, but especially Thursday when Santa Ana winds peak,” the agency stated.
Temperatures in the Riverside metropolitan area on Wednesday and Thursday will spike into the upper 80s, forecasters said. Similar conditions are expected in the Coachella Valley.
“The increase of northeasterly winds on Thursday may push temperatures higher than currently forecast, with highs potentially rising to match the record-breaking temperatures expected Wednesday,” the NWS said.
On the heels of the sizzle will be a cool-down, beginning Saturday, as a trough of low pressure dropping down from the Gulf of Alaska tracks across most of California, raising the possibility of light rain in the region, meteorologists said.
“At this point, conditions favor precipitation late weekend into early next week, but given that models aren’t aligned on the upper level pattern, we can expect significant changes (to forecasts) in the coming days,” the NWS stated.
Rainfall amounts are not likely to be significant unless the “deepening trough” pushes farther south, according to the Weather Service.
For Riverside metro on Saturday and Sunday, the highs will peak in the upper 60s, dropping into the upper 40s during the overnight hours. The weekend temps in the Coachella Valley will see highs around 80 and lows in the mid 50s.
For the Temecula Valley, the temperature band will be virtually identical to the Riverside area.