Warm weather will persist Monday throughout Riverside County, but temperatures will begin dropping on Tuesday and remain cool and dry through next week, according to the National Weather Service.
A ridge of high pressure to the southeast of Southern California will keep highs in the mid-to-high 80s in much of Riverside County Monday, forecasters said. By Tuesday, that ridge will slide further east and a trough of low pressure will move in along the West Coast.
The warm weather, combined with easterly winds and relative humidity around 10-15%, will raise the risk of wildfires throughout the region Monday, according to the NWS. Winds out of the east will be between 15-25 mph, with gusts possibly reaching 30-40 mph in wind-prone passes.
Relative humidity will rise to around 15% on Tuesday and the winds are expected to weaken Tuesday night, easing the elevated fire weather conditions through the end of the week, forecasters said.
High temperatures Monday are forecast to reach 86 in the Coachella Valley, 87 in Hemet and the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning, 88 in Riverside, 89 in Temecula and 70 in Idyllwild.
The mercury is expected to drop to 75 in the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning on Wednesday and highs in the Riverside metropolitan area are expected to be in the low-to-mid 70s, forecasters said.