Wind Advisory in effect for Banning Pass, Fire Weather Warnings for Coachella Valley
High pressure expanding into the Great Basin will bring gusty offshore winds to the Banning Pass and Western Riverside County through early this afternoon. Dry conditions will present a high wild fire danger as well.
The Wind Advisory has been cancelled for the Coachella Valley but it remains in effect for the Banning Pass area until 2 p.m. Wednesday. Offshore winds could reach 45 mph.
A Red Flag Warning is in effect for the Coachella Valley, Riverside County Mountains, and areas to the west until 6 p.m. Wednesday. Breezy offshore winds and very dry air will keep wild fire danger high for most of the day.
The full text warnings from the National Weather Service have been copied below.
Wind Advisory
URGENT – WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
413 AM PDT WED MAR 12 2014
…LOCALLY STRONG GUSTY NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS THROUGH EARLY
AFTERNOON NEAR COASTAL FOOTHILLS AND THROUGH AND BELOW PASSES AND
CANYONS IN ORANGE…SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO…AND WESTERN
RIVERSIDE COUNTIES…
.UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE OVER SOUTHERN NEVADA AND CENTRAL
CALIFORNIA AND SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE GREAT BASIN WILL
BRING LOCALLY GUSTY NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS THROUGH EARLY
AFTERNOON NEAR COASTAL FOOTHILLS AND THROUGH AND BELOW PASSES AND
CANYONS.
ORANGE COUNTY COASTAL AREAS-
SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY VALLEYS-THE INLAND EMPIRE-
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS-
413 AM PDT WED MAR 12 2014
…WIND ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON…
THE WIND ADVISORY IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON.
* WINDS…AREAS OF NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH WITH
GUSTS TO 50 MPH. ISOLATED GUSTS TO 60 MPH…MAINLY IN THE
COASTAL FOOTHILLS OF THE SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS.
* TIMING…WINDS STRONGEST AND MOST WIDESPREAD FROM AFTER SUNRISE
THROUGH LATE MORNING…THEN DIMINISHING DURING THE AFTERNOON.
* LOCATION…MAINLY NEAR THE COASTAL FOOTHILLS OF THE SAN
BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS…THE COASTAL FOOTHILLS OF THE SANTA
ANA MOUNTAINS…AND BELOW THE CAJON AND BANNING PASSES.
* IMPACTS…THE WINDS WILL MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT…ESPECIALLY
FOR MOTORISTS WITH HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. WATCH FOR BROKEN
TREE LIMBS AND OTHER DEBRIS.
* REPORT…THE STRONGEST GUST OVERNIGHT HAS BEEN 51 MPH AT FREMONT
CANYON IN THE COASTAL FOOTHILLS OF THE SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS AT 4 AM.
* OUTLOOK…WEAKER NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS WILL PERSIST INTO THURSDAY.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WINDS OF 35 MPH ARE EXPECTED. WINDS
THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT…ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH
PROFILE VEHICLES. USE EXTRA CAUTION.
Red Flag Warning
URGENT – FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
338 AM PDT WED MAR 12 2014
…RED FLAG WARNING TODAY FOR THE COACHELLA VALLEY AND FOR AREAS
NEAR AND BELOW THE COASTAL FOOTHILLS IN ORANGE…SOUTHWESTERN SAN
BERNARDINO…AND WESTERN RIVERSIDE COUNTIES FOR LOCALLY STRONG
GUSTY WINDS AND LOWER HUMIDITIES…
.UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND SURFACE
HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE GREAT BASIN WILL BRING LOCALLY GUSTY
NORTHEAST WINDS THROUGH AND BELOW PASSES AND CANYONS THROUGH EARLY
AFTERNOON WITH LOWER INLAND HUMIDITIES PERSISTING THROUGH THIS
AFTERNOON.
ORANGE COUNTY COASTAL AREAS-
SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY VALLEYS-THE INLAND EMPIRE-
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
INCLUDING THE MOUNTAIN TOP AND FRONT COUNTRY RANGER DISTRICTS OF
THE SAN BERNARDINO NATIONAL FOREST-RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
INCLUDING THE SAN JACINTO RANGER DISTRICT OF THE SAN BERNARDINO
NATIONAL FOREST-SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS-
INCLUDING THE TRABUCO RANGER DISTRICT OF THE CLEVELAND NATIONAL
FOREST-COACHELLA VALLEY-
INCLUDING THE PALM SPRINGS SOUTH COAST DESERT DISTRICT-
338 AM PDT WED MAR 12 2014
…RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM PDT THIS EVENING
FOR STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES…
A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM PDT THIS EVENING.
* WINDS…AREAS OF NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH THROUGH
EARLY AFTERNOON WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH. ISOLATED GUSTS TO 55
MPH…MAINLY IN THE COASTAL FOOTHILLS OF THE SANTA ANA
MOUNTAINS.
* RELATIVE HUMIDITY…LOWEST DAYTIME AROUND 10 PERCENT WITH POOR
OVERNIGHT RECOVERY.
* TIMING…WINDS WILL BE STRONGEST AND MOST WIDESPREAD FROM AFTER
SUNRISE THROUGH LATE MORNING…THEN DIMINISHING DURING THE
AFTERNOON.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW…OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF
STRONG WINDS…LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL
CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.
