Heads Up! Another Windy Day Expected in the Pass With 40 MPH Gusts Possible, NWS Says

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA - Gusty winds and a slight chance of rain are in the forecast in parts of Riverside County Monday, but the weekend storms that brought widespread precipitation and prompted numerous weather advisories have moved out of the region.

In a 48-hour period ending just after 6 a.m. Monday, the back-to-back weekend weather systems dropped 3 to 4 inches of snow in Idyllwild. Big Bear reported 5 inches, and the top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway reported 4 to 6 inches.

According to the National Weather Service, top rainfall amounts recorded in the same period included:

• 1.74 inches in Pine Cove
• 1.38 in., Vista Grande
• 1.20 in., Keenwild
• 1.06 in., Banning Bench and Beaumont
• 1.02 in., Whitewater
• 0.98 in., Tick Ridge
• 0.89 in., Poppet Flat
• 0.86 in., Live Oak Canyon
• 0.83 in., Cabazon
• 0.71 in., Moreno-Clark and Pigeon Pass
• 0.63 in., Potrero Canyon, Riverside and Temecula
• 0.61 in., Hemet
• 0.54 in., Pinyon Pines
• 0.50 in., Murrieta
• 0.43 in., French Valley Airport

Less than half an inch fell in numerous other locales including Desert Hot Springs and Palm Springs in the Coachella Valley. The storms moved east out of the region and the skies cleared overnight, but gusty winds are expected to redevelop Monday night.

A wind advisory for the mountains, the Coachella Valley and the San Gorgonio Pass zone, which includes the cities of Banning and Desert Hot Springs, took effect at 8 a.m. and will run through 6 p.m. West winds of 25 to 35 miles per hour with gusts of to 55 are expected in the mountains and along the San Gorgonio Pass, as are winds of 15 to 25 mph and gusts to 40 mph in the Coachella Valley.

A similar wind advisory for the valleys around Riverside will extend from 10 p.m. Monday until 2 p.m. Tuesday.

A slight chance of showers is also in the forecast for the mountains Monday afternoon, and tonight in the valleys around Riverside. Forecasters said there would be a 20 percent chance of measurable precipitation.

Calmer weather with below-average temperatures is expected Tuesday through Friday, according to the weather service.

As for Banning, here is the forecast for the rest of the week, courtesy of the National Weather Service:

Today
Partly sunny, with a high near 49. Breezy, with a west wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph.

Tonight
Partly cloudy, with a low around 41. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable.

Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 56. East wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Tuesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 43. East wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 57. East wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 40.

Thursday
Sunny, with a high near 55.

Thursday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 41.

Friday
Sunny, with a high near 48.

Friday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 41.

Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 57.

Saturday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 47.

Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 65.

(Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone)

– City News Service contributed to this report.