Santa Ana winds will impact the Inland Empire Wednesday through Friday, with the highest gusts in mountains and passes, but no warnings of increased fire danger thanks to recent storms.
“Gusty north winds through the Cajon Pass will become more northeasterly and widespread Wednesday night into Thursday morning,” the National Weather Service said in a statement. “Along and below the coastal slopes of the mountains and through passes, peak gusts of 40 to 50 mph, locally up to 55 mph, are expected.”
The agency said the northeasterly winds will persist into Friday, “but with decreasing coverage and strength.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, northeast winds at Riverside Municipal Airport were blowing around 12 mph, periodically gusting to 20 mph, according to the airport’s automated weather reporting station.
No wind or other advisories had been issued as of 2 p.m. Wednesday.
Hillsides throughout the Riverside metropolitan area remained lush green following multiple rainstorms last month, reducing wildfire risks.
Forecasters said a ridge of high pressure settling over the Great Basin of Nevada and Utah was the source of the offshore wind event. NWS prognostication charts showed the ridge giving way to a trough of low pressure by Friday night, after which windy conditions were expected to subside.
High temperatures in Riverside and neighboring locations were forecast to hover in the low 70s for the remainder of the week and into the weekend, with overnight lows around 40.
For the Coachella Valley, the mercury was expected to peak in the mid-70s from Wednesday to Sunday, dropping into the low to mid-50s at night.
In the Temecula Valley, daytime highs were forecast to top out in the upper 60s going into the weekend, and lows in the upper 30s to low 40s, according to the NWS.