Wind, Cooler Temperatures On The Way For Coachella Valley, Palm Desert

PALM DESERT, CA —A wind advisory is in place for Coachella Valley and a winter storm warning is in place for Riverside County's Pass Area and mountain areas, the National Weather Service says. Two inbound storm systems will drop temperatures in the pass area through the remainder of the week, bringing rain and more mountain snow to lower elevations, the National Weather Service San Diego reports.

Palm Desert and other desert areas will see 0.1 to 0.25 inches from this storm series, forecasters said.

The winter storm warning is in effect in the Riverside County mountains from 7 p.m. Thursday evening through Sunday morning, with the added warning of possible heavy snow and strong winds. Winds will blow sustained from 25 to 35 miles per hour, with gusts up to 60 miles per hour expected in the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning and across the Coachella Valley.

The strongest winds were forecast for Friday night, forecasters said. Gusty winds could blow about unsecured objects, tree limbs may be blown down, and power outages are possible, the NWS reports.

National Weather Service's Detailed Forecast For Palm Desert:

Thursday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph. A chance of showers after 10pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 51. West wind 10 to 15 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday
Showers likely. Areas of blowing dust after 4pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 65. North wind 5 to 15 mph becoming west in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday Night
A slight chance of showers. Areas of blowing dust before 10pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 46. West wind 15 to 20 mph becoming northwest 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday
A slight chance of showers. Areas of blowing dust after 10am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. West wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday Night
A slight chance of showers before 10pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 43. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 68.

Sunday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 45.

Snow Expected in the Riverside County Mountain Areas:

As much as 2 feet of snow could fall above 6,000 feet, with 1 to 5 inches possible at lower elevations down to 4,000 feet, according to the weather service. The first system will arrive Thursday evening and into Friday, followed by another round of precipitation Friday night into Sunday.

"Snowy and windy conditions with significant reductions in visibility are possible, especially during the morning commute on Friday," according to the NWS.

A wind advisory will also be in effect for Riverside County mountains from noon through midnight.

Wind gusts of up to 70 mph are possible in some areas.

Temperatures were forecast to start falling Thursday, plummeting further on Friday and Saturday.

"The weather will turn sharply colder Friday through Sunday as a series of shortwaves in cold northwest flow brings rain, wind and mountain snow," according to the NWS.

Weather service officials said Southwest Riverside County should expect approximately a quarter-inch of rain. t

The San Diego County mountains will likely receive the most precipitation during the first wave of the storm, with 1 to 1.75 inches of rain possible, while coastal and valley areas could get between a quarter-inch to an inch of rain.

As the second front moves into the region Saturday, more rain will fall in mountain areas, along with another quarter-inch possible in valley areas. Meanwhile, the snow level will drop to about 3,500 feet, with "several more inches" of snow likely.