Fast-Moving Storm Blows Through Coachella Valley, Winds Follow

PALM DESERT, CA —A high wind advisory is in place as a fast-moving storm front moves into Palm Desert Thursday and Friday. According to the National Weather Service, the storm will churn up winds and produce scattered rain across the Inland Empire.

That storm will be abruptly followed by a Santa Ana wind event, the weather service said.

The agency issued a Wind Advisory from 10 a.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Friday, predicting winds ranging from 30 to 40 mph, with gusts to 55 mph in some locations.

In the Coachella Valley, highs will be in the low 70s Thursday, and the mercury will steadily rise, with highs in the low to mid-80s Friday to Sunday, and lows in the mid-50s.

According to the Weather Service, a trough of low pressure will sweep into the region from the Gulf of Alaska Wednesday night and Thursday morning, dragging moisture with it, though not in copious amounts.

"It will have enough available moisture to generate a few showers," according to the NWS. "Behind the trough, the winds quickly shift offshore."

There's a 30% chance of precipitation in the Riverside metropolitan area Thursday.

Santa Ana conditions will ensue as the low is replaced by a ridge of high pressure settling over the Great Basin in Nevada and Utah, according to prognostication charts published by the NWS.

The ridge will hold in place into the weekend when it gives way to another low, but no precipitation is in the forecast again until Tuesday.

In the Temecula Valley, temperatures will peak in the low 60s Thursday, with highs in the low to mid-70s Friday to Sunday, and lows in the mid-40s, according to the Weather Service.

High temperatures in the Riverside metropolitan area are expected to be in the mid-60s Thursday, with lows in the mid-40s. Highs will top out in the upper 70s Friday to Sunday, with lows in the upper 40s, forecasters said.

The detailed report from the weather service shows when the storm will move in:

Thursday
A chance of showers after 10am. Areas of blowing dust after 4pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 72. Breezy, with a north wind 15 to 20 mph increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Thursday Night
Areas of blowing dust before 7pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 46. North wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Friday
Sunny, with a high near 75. North wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Friday Night
Clear, with a low around 51.

Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 81.

Saturday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 55.

Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 85.