Banning, Beaumont Under 'Fire Weather Watch' As Santa Ana Winds Return

BANNING, CA — Prepare for fire weather, Banning and Beaumont. The National Weather Service placed Southwest Riverside County under a fire weather watch starting at 1 a.m. through 10 p.m. Saturday.

An intense round of Santa Ana winds was expected to whip across much of the Inland Empire. Wildfire dangers have risen for the entire region, along with the anticipated drop in relative humidity.

Any fires that develop would likely spread rapidly, according to the NWS. Outdoor burning is not recommended.

The last Santa Ana wind event heavily affected the Pass Area, however, this event shows sustained winds expected at around 12 mph. Stronger gusts are predicted throughout the day, according to Accuweather.com, and may blow around 20 to 25 mph.

"The pressure gradient (will be) robust enough to generate gusts near 60 mph, locally up to 70 mph in wind-prone locations along coastal mountain slopes and below passes," the NWS said in a statement. "Periods of critical fire weather conditions are expected Friday night into Saturday."

The relative humidity is expected to plummet to 10% to 15%, comparable to conditions on Wednesday, when the first Santa Ana windstorm of the winter season generated gusts up to 40 mph in the Riverside metropolitan area, with higher intensity winds in the San Gorgonio Pass and across the desert area between Thermal and Blythe.

No significant fires occurred during that wind event.

The one forecast for Saturday is expected to be powered by ridges of high pressure traversing the Great Basin to the northeast.

Weekend high temperatures in the Riverside area are expected to top out in the low 70s, with lows in the mid-40s.

In the Coachella Valley, the daytime mercury will settle in the mid to upper 70s, with lows in the low 50s, while in the Temecula Valley, the highs will hover in the low 70s, with lows in the upper 30s, forecasters said.

Meteorologists reported another possible Santa Ana windstorm could develop over Thanksgiving weekend. We'll keep you posted.