Forecasters say wind and rain on the way to the Coachella Valley

A low pressure system that was over Arizona early Friday morning will move quickly eastward, spurring gusty west winds in the Coachella Valley and Riverside County mountains into the evening, meteorologists said.

The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for the Coachella Valley and local mountain areas until 9 p.m., saying sustained winds of 15 to 25 miles per hour and gusts up to 45 mph were likely.

The strongest winds will be early Friday morning, then again late in the afternoon into early evening, according to the weather service.

“Strong winds will make driving difficult, especially for motorists with high profile vehicles,” an NWS advisory said. “Watch for broken tree limbs and other debris on roadways.”

Also Friday, light showers were expected to continue mainly along and west of the mountains early Friday morning but showers could linger near the mountains into the afternoon, according to the NWS.

The agency forecast drier and slightly warmer weather for the weekend.