Weekend Winds Weaken, Cooling into Next Week

Santa Ana winds peak today across Southern California and gradually weaken tonight into Saturday, though gusty winds will still linger near mountain slopes and the San Gorgonio Pass. Here in the Coachella Valley, our local impacts look far less significant, with occasional breezes 20-30mph and highs near seasonal.

If you’re traveling through the Banning Pass, watch for stronger crosswinds--especially high profile vehicles! Late last night Banning clocked gusts as high as 74mph--hurricane force! We'll continue to see elevated fire concerns continuing in wind-prone areas through Saturday.

Our valley temps are a much different story from the heat spreading across coastal communities--where they're looking at highs climbing to the upper 80s and low 90s and a Heat Advisory until 8pm Saturday.

Winds ease through the weekend before turning more westerly Sunday, beginning a cooling trend that continues into next week. Another low pressure system will bring a more noticeable cooldown and increasing west winds, with inland temperatures potentially running as much as 10 degrees below average by Tuesday.

We’re also watching a chance of showers, mainly Wednesday and Thursday; rain looks light to moderate, but amounts and how much reaches the valley remain uncertain.