Gusty winds will buffet the mountains and deserts in Riverside County Wednesday ahead of a low-pressure system that will bring a chance of rain throughout the region on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
The winds blowing to the west and southwest prompted the NWS to issue a wind advisory that will be in effect from 5 p.m. Wednesday until 11 a.m. Friday for the Riverside County mountains, the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning and the Coachella Valley.
Wind speeds Wednesday are expected to range from 20 to 30 mph with gusts of 45 mph possible along the desert slopes of the mountains, forecasters said.
The winds will die down by Thursday morning then peak again Thursday afternoon and evening, with winds between 30 and 40 mph expected and gusts of 60 mph possible.
Powerful winds could whip up sand and dust and create potentially hazardous driving conditions, especially for high-profile vehicles, the NWS warned.
A low-pressure system coming in from the northwest is expected to arrive late Wednesday evening and bring rain Thursday morning, NWS meteorologist Miguel Miller said.
Rainfall totals on Thursday could reach a quarter-inch in the Riverside metropolitan area and the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning, while up to two-tenths of an inch is expected in Lake Elsinore and Idyllwild could receive up to nine-tenths of an inch, according to the NWS.
Less than one-tenth of an inch of rain is expected in the Coachella Valley.
Some light rain could linger in the afternoon, but the system is expected to leave the region by Thursday night, Miller said.
High temperatures Wednesday will be 73 to 78 degrees in the Riverside metropolitan area, 69 to 79 in the mountains, 85 to 90 in the San Gorgonio Pass and 92 to 97 in the Coachella Valley.