Storm Heading To SW RivCo As Wind Advisory Remains In Effect

SOUTHWEST RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Gusty Santa Ana winds will buffet parts of Riverside County Wednesday amid warm and sunny weather, according to the National Weather Service.

The forecast for Southwest Riverside County, including Lake Elsinore, Murrieta, Temecula and Wildomar, shows a wind advisory in effect until noon Thursday. The advisory blankets Southwest Riverside County, the Riverside metropolitan area, Riverside County mountains and the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning — but not the Coachella Valley.

Winds out of the northeast are expected to be between 20-30 mph, with gusts possibly reaching 55 mph near the foothills and adjacent valleys, forecasters said.

The winds are not expected to significantly elevate the risk of wildfires because humidity levels are around average and brush in the region is not critically dry, according to the NWS.

NWS officials warned that winds could be strong enough to blow around unsecured objects and knock down tree limbs, potentially causing power outages.

Conditions will also be hazardous for high-profile vehicles traveling on highways through mountain passes.

High temperatures Wednesday could reach 81 degrees in Riverside, 75 in the San Gorgonio Pass, 78 in the Coachella Valley and 77 in Temecula and 79 in Hemet.

Temperatures in the Coachella Valley, Riverside metropolitan area and the San Gorgonio Pass are expected to remain in the high-70s to mid-80s through Sunday, when a storm system is expected to arrive and bring showers through Monday, forecasters said.

—City News Service contributed to this report.