Forecasters predicted cool temperatures in the western areas of Riverside County and windy weather in the eastern areas this weekend.
“Temperatures will be around 5 degrees below average at the coast and 5 to 15 degrees below average for inland areas today,” the National Weather Service announced Saturday.
Saturday’s temperatures reached 82 in the downtown Riverside area and Hemet, 77 in Temecula, 102 in Coachella and 98 in Palm Springs, according to the NWS.
“The main story for the deserts this weekend will be the wind,” the NWS said.
West-southwest winds were expected to peak in strength Saturday evening with widespread gusts of 35-50 mph and local gusts exceeding 65 mph along desert slopes and through the San Gorgonio Pass, according to the NWS.
An air quality alert was issued by the South Coast Air Quality Management District due to the gusty winds. The alert was expected to be effective until 8 a.m. Sunday in the western Coachella Valley near Cathedral City and included the cities of Indio, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Palm Desert, Palm Desert Country, La Quinta and Coachella.
Temperatures were expected to drop a few degrees Sunday, reaching 77 in the downtown Riverside area and Hemet, 72 in Temecula, 98 in Coachella and 94 in Palm Springs.
Warmer weather was expected next week, with highs expected to increase by a couple degrees each day, reaching 86 in downtown Riverside by Friday, 82 in Temecula, 88 in Hemet, 104 in Coachella and 102 in Palm Springs.
Sounds like a perfect weekend to enjoy some indoor activities! I wasn’t expecting temperatures to dip so low; 5 to 15 degrees below average really makes a difference for those of us in the inland areas. this one