IE Wind Advisory: 50 MPH Gusts Over Thanksgiving, Rain Next Week

BANNING, CA — Expect a dry, windy and warm Thanksgiving across the Inland Empire this week, according to the latest National Weather Service reports. A wind advisory would be in effect from 9 p.m. Wednesday to 10 a.m. Friday. as yet another Santa Ana windstorm was predicted for the San Gorgonio Pass. Meanwhile, other locations across the IE could receive wind gusts over 50 mph.

Meteorologists said that the next chance of rain will be Monday, when a trough of low pressure sweeps in from the Pacific Northwest, clearing out the warm dry air. Still, precipitation amounts are not expected to be significant.

"An expansive surface high-pressure system will stretch from Nevada to Colorado ... a pattern that supports a stronger east-west pressure gradient that would funnel the strongest winds through the passes of Riverside and San Diego counties," the NWS said in a statement Tuesday.
"This is where the highest gusts appear most likely. The winds will remain fairly strong Thursday afternoon, then subside a bit in the evening."

"Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects," the weather service said. "The combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm weather will result in several hours of critical fire weather conditions."

Forecasters predicted sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts of 50 to 70 mph possible in mountain passes and canyons. The San Gorgonio Pass and the Interstate 10 corridor were specifically referenced.

High temperatures in the Riverside metropolitan area on Thanksgiving and the day after will be in the mid 70s, with lows in the upper 40s, according to the NWS.

Similar temperature patterns are forecast for the Coachella Valley, though overnight lows will hover in the low 50s. In Southwest Riverside County, the daytime temperatures will top out in the mid 70s for Temecula, Murrieta and Lake Elsinore, with low temps falling to the mid 40s.