Strong Winds, Chance Of Rain In Banning, Beaumont

BANNING, CA — Don't let those sunny skies from earlier in the week fool you. Mother Nature can't seem to decide what she wants — after several days of hot temperatures and perfect swimming pool weather, the Pass Area will see cooler temps, winds and the chance of showers, according to the National Weather Service.

Powerful winds will buffet the nearby Coachella Valley, the San Gorgonio Pass and Riverside County's mountains Friday, the agency said.

A wind advisory was set to go into effect at 10 a.m. and last until 5 a.m. Saturday, according to the NWS. The wind advisory covers the Coachella Valley, including Palm Springs, Indio, Cathedral City, Palm Desert, Palm Desert Country, La Quinta, Coachella and Desert Hot Springs. It also covers the mountains and the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning.

"A wind advisory means that ... strong crosswinds will make driving difficult at times, especially for high profile vehicles," NWS meteorologists said, warning drivers to use extra caution as visibility may be reduced at times by blowing dust and sand.

Winds will increase throughout the day Friday and peak during the late afternoon and early evening, the NWS said. West to southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph are expected, with typical gusts up to 50 mph, and some isolated gusts up to 60 mph.

Strongest winds will be from mountain ridge tops to the deserts, the NWS said.

The gusty winds will be accompanied by cooler weather Friday and throughout the weekend. Highs Friday will be 67 to 77 degrees in the mountains, 84 to 89 in the San Gorgonio Pass and 91 to 96 in the Coachella Valley.

Cool weather and light, scattered showers are expected west of the mountains over the next few days. Highs Friday in the Riverside metropolitan area will be 70 to 75 degrees with a 40 percent chance of measurable precipitation Friday evening.

As for Banning in particular, here's the forecast through Mother's Day:

Friday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. West wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Friday Night
A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. Southwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Saturday
A chance of showers before 11am. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 70. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Sunday
Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 72. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 51.

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— Image via elegeyda, Shutterstock.com