55MPH Winds Ahead For Inland Empire, Chance Of Rain: NWS

BEAUMONT, CA —Santa Ana winds reaching speeds of 55 mph were expected to continue through the day in the Inland Empire, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a wind advisory for the region Thursday. Temperatures are expected to warm over the weekend.

"Gusty northeast winds will develop (late Wednesday night) along and below the mountains, then spread southward ... with the winds continuing into Thursday afternoon," according to an NWS statement.

"The strongest gusts will be near and below the Cajon Pass and in the San Diego mountains, with 50 to 55 mph possible."

Forecasters said the winds will average 20 to 30 mph. The wind advisory began at midnight and will end at 4 p.m.

Three Santa Ana windstorms blasted the region in January, and since the beginning of this month, milder east wind events have occurred.

According to prognostication charts published by the weather service, high-pressure ridges sliding across the Great Basin will power the latest round of Santa Anas. The systems are predicted to dominate weather patterns going into the weekend, though winds will slacken after Friday.

By Sunday, a trough of low pressure will swoop into Southern California from the Pacific Northwest, bringing another shot of light to moderate precipitation Sunday night and Monday, according to the NWS.

In the Riverside metropolitan area, temperatures are expected to peak in the low to mid-70s through Sunday, with lows in the mid-40s.

In the Coachella Valley, the highs will hover in the mid-to-upper 70s, with lows in the upper 40s.

In the Temecula Valley, temperatures will top out in the low 70s and fall overnight to the low 40s for the rest of the week, according to forecasters.