Fire Weather Watch Issued For Lake Elsinore, Wildomar

SOUTHWEST RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Extremely dry conditions forecast in Southwest Riverside County prompted the National Weather Service to issue a Fire Weather Watch for the weekend ahead.

The NWS watch is in effect from 10 a.m. Dec. 9 to 12 p.m. Dec. 10 across all of western Riverside County, including the southwest area that includes the cities of Canyon Lake, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Murrieta, Temecula and Wildomar.

While ongoing Santa Ana winds are not forecast to be extreme in Southwest Riverside County, the conditions will cause humidity levels to fall to about 20% Friday, 10-15% Saturday morning, and as low as 7-10% Sunday, according to the NWS.

"Fire weather conditions will approach or exceed critical levels Saturday afternoon, mainly in the Inland Empire with widespread elevated conditions elsewhere," according to the National Weather Service.

Daytime highs in Southwest Riverside County will be in the mid- to high 60s through Saturday, warming to the low 70s by Sunday.