RIVERSIDE (CNS) - Santa Ana winds will arrive Friday and persist through the weekend throughout the Inland Empire, generating periodically gusty conditions and warmer temperatures, according to the National Weather Service.
What Is Driving This Weekend's Santa Ana Wind Forecast?
"By Friday, the offshore flow intensifies with a more robust ridge of high pressure, as (forecast) models hone in on a weak to moderate Santa Ana event for Friday through Sunday," the NWS said Wednesday. "Humidity will fall into the teens this weekend for valleys and coastal mountains."
The weather service said a ridge currently near the Pacific Northwest will gradually slide toward the Great Basin of Nevada and Utah, along with another high pressure system lingering off the coast, instigating the northeasterly winds.
Is a Wind Advisory or Wildfire Danger Expected?
No wind advisories had been issued as of Wednesday afternoon. With the recent rainfall, wildfire danger was not expected to be significant.
Peak gusts have not yet been predicted. NWS prognostication charts showed the ridges loosening their grip by Monday.
Weekend Temperature Forecast by Inland Empire Region
In the Riverside metropolitan area, daytime highs Thursday to Sunday were expected to peak in the low 80s, with overnight lows in the mid-50s.
For the Coachella Valley, highs will peak in the mid-80s Thursday to Sunday, followed by nighttime temps in the low 60s.
The Temecula Valley's temperature band will be a close approximation of the Riverside area's over the four-day period.
What Comes After the Weekend?
Dry weather and moderate but seasonable temperatures are anticipated going into early next week ending the Santa Ana wind warning.