Strong Winds, Excessive Heat Combine To Create Dangerous Fire Conditions In Murrieta: NWS

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Santa Ana winds will rake the Inland Empire Monday and combine with record-high temperatures and extremely dry air to create dangerous fire conditions in parts of Riverside County, forecasters said. Several areas in the region, Murrieta included, are under multiple advisories for the coming days, including a wind advisory, a red flag warning and an excessive heat warning.

A Red Flag Fire Warning issued by the National Weather Service for parts of Riverside County was scheduled to be in effect until 6 p.m. Wednesday amid forecasts of hot, dry and windy weather in the valleys, mountains and the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning. The combination of extreme heat, low humidity and Santa Ana winds will create an increased threat of wildfire ignition and large fire growth, the NWS said.

"Upon ignition, fires will grow rapidly and will be difficult to control," according to the Santa Ana Wildfire Threat Index from the U.S. Forest Service.

As for Murrieta in particular, here's the forecast through Sunday, via the National Weather Service:

Monday
Sunny, with a high near 101. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east in the afternoon.

Monday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 59. Light and variable wind becoming northwest 10 to 15 mph in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 101. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph becoming light and variable. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.

Tuesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 58. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 98. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 56.

Thursday
Sunny, with a high near 91.

Thursday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 54.

Friday
Sunny, with a high near 89.

Friday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 54.

Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 88.

Saturday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 53.

Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 87.

Wind gusts peaked between 30 to 40 mph Sunday morning at the windiest locations, according to the agency. Even stronger Santa Ana winds were expected Monday, with gusts of 40 to 50 mph possible in the canyons and foothills west of the mountains. Monday evening and into Tuesday, winds could gust up to 60 or 65 mph in some spots.

Monday and Tuesday are forecast to have the most severe Red Flag conditions, with humidity around 5 percent, the NWS said.

Exacerbating the problems that the strong winds could cause will be the extreme heat. Lake Elsinore is expected to hit 105 degrees Monday, which would match the record-high for the date from 1903 and be nearly 25 degrees above the average Oct. 23 temperature of 81. Riverside is expected to see 103 degree temperatures Monday, which would best the previous Oct. 23 high of 100 set in 1959.

On Tuesday, Lake Elsinore is forecast to hit 104 degrees, which would pass the previous Oct. 24 record of 100 degrees set in 1903.

With those extreme temperatures in the forecast, the NWS issued an excessive heat warning that will be in effect from 10 a.m. Monday to 8 p.m. Tuesday. A wind advisory also went into effect at midnight and will last through 2 p.m. Wednesday for Riverside city and Corona.

Winds will begin to die down by Wednesday, but due to the abundance of dry fuels in the region, the NWS extended the Red Flag Warning by 24 hours from 6 p.m. Tuesday to 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Hot temperatures but far less dangerous fire conditions are expected in the Coachella Valley. Highs Monday in Indio, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Palm Desert, Palm Desert Country, La Quinta, and Coachella are forecast at 99 to 104 degrees and 100 to 105 on Tuesday.

Higher humidity, lower temperatures and lighter winds are expected by Thursday across all of Riverside County, according to the NWS, though temperatures will remain above average for this time of year.

— City News Service contributed to this report / Patch file photo