High Wind Warnings & Winter Weather Advisories in effect
A strong and cold area of low pressure will bring strong and gusty winds to Southern California through the weekend, with chances for rain and snow above 5000 feet. Isolated thunderstorms are possible early Saturday as well.
Strong and gusty winds will pick up Friday afternoon and are forecasted to remain strong through most of Saturday, before weakening slightly Saturday evening. Sustained winds could reach 35-45 mph and wind prone areas could see gusts top 70 mph. Mountain wave activity is possible which could bring gusts 55-60 mph to isolated spots on the desert floor. Winds this strong will create dangerous driving conditions along with blowing dust and sand that could create near brown out conditions.
Precipitation will mainly stay over and west of the mountains with just a few passing sprinkles in the deserts through Saturday morning. Snow levels will fall to 4500 feet early Saturday with only a light dusting up to 6000 feet. Snow totals above 6000 feet are expected to be between 1-3 inches, with 4 inches possible above 7500 feet.
Isolated thunderstorms are possible in the higher elevations early Saturday with small hail, gusty winds, and isolated flash flooding being the main threats.
A High Wind Warning is in effect for the low deserts and mountain areas from 3 p.m. Friday through 9 p.m. on Saturday. Sustained winds of 30-40 mph are expected with gusts past 70 mph possible,
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for Riverside and San Bernardino county mountain areas above 4500 feet from 8 p.m. Friday through 11 a.m. on Saturday.
A Wind Advisory is in effect for the high desert cities in San Bernardino county from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday.
The full text from these warnings has been copied below.
High Wind Warning
…STRONG AND GUSTY WESTERLY WINDS IN THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS
LATE TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING…
.STRENGTHENING LOW PRESSURE OVER THE GREAT BASIN WILL GENERATE
INCREASING SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
LATER TODAY. WIND GUSTS OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT DESERTS
WILL BECOME QUITE STRONG EARLY THIS EVENING…WITH GUSTS OVER 60
MPH EXPECTED IN WIND PRONE AREAS. WINDS THIS STRONG WILL POSE A
HAZARD TO MOTORISTS AND CAUSE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING DUST AND SAND IN
THE DESERTS. THE WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT AND ON
SATURDAY BEFORE WEAKENING SATURDAY EVENING.
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-APPLE AND LUCERNE VALLEYS-
COACHELLA VALLEY-SAN DIEGO COUNTY DESERTS-
221 AM PDT FRI APR 25 2014
…HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 9 PM
PDT SATURDAY…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SAN DIEGO HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND
WARNING…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 9 PM PDT
SATURDAY. THE HIGH WIND WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
* WINDS…SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS 30 TO 40 MPH…GUSTING TO 65
MPH. WIND GUSTS OF 70 MPH OR GREATER ARE POSSIBLE IN THE MORE
WIND-PRONE AREAS.
* TIMING…SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS INCREASING FRIDAY AFTERNOON…
PEAKING FRIDAY NIGHT. WINDS WILL SLOWLY WEAKEN SATURDAY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING BEFORE DIMINISHING SATURDAY NIGHT.
* LOCATION…STRONGEST SUSTAINED WINDS ALONG MOUNTAIN RIDGE TOPS
AND ON ADJACENT DESERT SLOPES. STRONG WIND GUSTS WILL SURFACE
OCCASIONALLY TO THE DESERT FLOOR.
* VISIBILITY…REDUCED AT TIMES BY BLOWING SAND AND DUST IN THE
DESERTS.
* IMPACTS…THE WINDS WILL MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT…ESPECIALLY FOR
MOTORISTS WITH HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. TRAVEL MAY BE IMPACTED
ALONG 1-10 IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY AND I-8 THROUGH THE SAN DIEGO
COUNTY MOUNTAINS…AND ALONG STATE HIGHWAYS 18 AND 247 IN SAN
BERNARDINO COUNTY. WATCH FOR BROKEN TREE LIMBS AND OTHER DEBRIS
ON ROADWAYS.
* OUTLOOK…WINDS WILL BEGIN TO WEAKEN LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON…BUT
REMAIN GUSTY THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A HIGH WIND WARNING MEANS A HAZARDOUS HIGH WIND EVENT IS EXPECTED
OR OCCURRING. SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH OR GUSTS
OF 58 MPH OR MORE CAN LEAD TO PROPERTY DAMAGE.
Winter Weather Advisory
…LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS TONIGHT INTO
SATURDAY MORNING…
.A LATE-SPRING STORM MOVING THROUGH SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WILL
BRING PERIODS OF SNOW SHOWERS TO THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SAN
BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY
MORNING.
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS…ANGELUS OAKS…BALDWIN LAKE…
BARTON FLATS…BIG BEAR CITY…BIG BEAR LAKE…FAWNSKIN…
FOREST FALLS…RUNNING SPRINGS…PINE COVE
528 AM PDT FRI APR 25 2014
…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM THIS
EVENING TO 11 AM PDT SATURDAY…
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM THIS
EVENING TO 11 AM PDT SATURDAY.
* TIMING…SNOW SHOWERS BEGINNING LATE THIS EVENING…HEAVIEST AND
MOST WIDESPREAD LATE TONIGHT. SHOWERS TAPERING OFF SATURDAY
MORNING.
* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS…A DUSTING AROUND 5000 FT. 1 TO 3 INCHES
FROM 6000 TO 7500 FT…AND UP TO 4 INCHES ABOVE 7500 FT.
* WINDS…20 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH. GUSTS 70 MPH OR
GREATER POSSIBLE ALONG WIND-PRONE RIDGES AND THROUGH THE FAVORED
CANYONS.
* VISIBILITY…REDUCED TO 1 MILE OR LESS AT TIMES IN SNOW…
BLOWING SNOW…AND FOG.
* IMPACTS…TRAVEL WILL BE HAZARDOUS AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF
THE MOUNTAINS DUE TO SNOW ON ROADWAYS AND POOR VISIBILITY.
CHAINS MAY BE REQUIRED IN SOME AREAS.
* OUTLOOK…SNOW SHOWERS WILL TAPER OFF LATE SATURDAY MORNING…BUT
WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE STRONG THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE
TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED
VISIBILITIES…AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.
Wind Advisory
.AN UNSEASONABLY STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BRING HIGH WINDS TO
THE AREA TODAY AS IT MOVES INTO CALIFORNIA. WINDS WILL DECREASE
TONIGHT AS THE STORM MOVES INTO NEVADA.
NORTHWEST PLATEAU-NORTHWEST DESERTS-
LAKE MEAD NATIONAL RECREATION AREA-EASTERN SIERRA SLOPES-
OWENS VALLEY-WHITE MOUNTAINS OF INYO COUNTY-
DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK-WESTERN MOJAVE DESERT-
EASTERN MOJAVE DESERT-MORONGO BASIN-
ESMERALDA AND CENTRAL NYE COUNTY-LINCOLN COUNTY-
NORTHEAST CLARK COUNTY-WESTERN CLARK AND SOUTHERN NYE COUNTY-
SHEEP RANGE-SPRING MOUNTAINS-RED ROCK CANYON-LAS VEGAS VALLEY-
SOUTHERN CLARK COUNTY
…WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM PDT /11 AM MST/ THIS
MORNING TO 11 PM PDT /11 PM MST/ THIS EVENING…
A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM PDT /11 AM MST/ THIS
MORNING TO 11 PM PDT /11 PM MST/ THIS EVENING FOR ALL OF SOUTHERN
NEVADA…NORTHWEST ARIZONA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA.
* WINDS: SOUTHWEST 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH OVER MOST
AREAS. WINDS IN THE SIERRA WILL BE WEST 30 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS
TO 65 MPH.
* TIMING: WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS MORNING…PEAK THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING.
* LOCATIONS: CLARK…LINCOLN…NYE AND ESMERALDA COUNTIES IN
SOUTHERN NEVADA…MOHAVE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ARIZONA AND INYO COUNTY
AND THE HIGH DESERT OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST
CALIFORNIA.
* IMPACTS: WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT…
ESPECIALLY FOR MOTORCYCLES AND HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. IN
ADDITION…STRONG WINDS OVER DESERT AREAS COULD RESULT IN
BRIEFLY LOWERED VISIBILITIES TO WELL UNDER A MILE AT TIMES
IN BLOWING DUST OR BLOWING SAND. USE EXTRA CAUTION.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT CROSSWINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE STRONG
ENOUGH TO MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT…ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE
VEHICLES. IN ADDITION…STRONG WINDS OVER DESERT AREAS COULD RESULT
IN BRIEFLY LOWERED VISIBILITIES TO WELL UNDER A MILE AT TIMES IN
BLOWING DUST OR BLOWING SAND. USE EXTRA CAUTION.
