Gusts up to 50 mph will hit Riverside County on Saturday, Oct. 3, just as an extreme heat warning pushes valley temperatures toward 106 degrees.
The National Weather Service issued the wind advisory Friday, Oct. 2, covering Riverside County mountains, San Gorgonio Pass near Banning and San Diego County mountains. The advisory runs from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, with east winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts reaching 50 mph, The Press-Enterprise reported.
The NWS warned that the winds could blow unsecured objects, snap tree limbs and knock out power. Driving could be dangerous, especially for high-profile vehicles.
That wind arrives on top of a separate extreme heat warning the NWS issued Thursday, Oct. 1, for San Bernardino and Riverside County valleys. The warning takes effect Saturday at 10 a.m. and lasts through Thursday, Oct. 8, at 8 p.m. The NWS San Diego office forecast high temperatures in the upper 90s to 106 degrees, with overnight lows staying in the mid-60s to lower 70s.
The Santa Ana Mountains and foothills near Murrieta are under their own extreme heat warning for the same period, with temperatures expected to reach 98 degrees.
Power shutoffs possible
Southern California Edison said it is considering preventive Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) on Friday and Saturday for 9,990 customers in Riverside County south of the San Bernardino National Forest, Insurance Journal reported. The utility did not specify which communities would be affected.
San Diego County officials warned in a public advisory that hot, dry and windy conditions increase the chance of fast-moving wildfires.
CAL FIRE Captain Josh Cormode, a public information officer speaking about the broader Southern California fire-weather threat, told Fox 5 San Diego that shutting off power during dangerous conditions is worth the trade-off. "The risk versus gain of being able to eliminate a factor or a way that a fire can be started with extreme temperatures and Santa Ana winds I think it's worth getting the power off if needed," Cormode said.
How to prepare
The NWS cautioned that warm overnight lows will limit the body's ability to cool down, increasing the risk of heat-related illness. Stay hydrated.
Riverside County cool centers are available through the Community Action Partnership of Riverside County at capriverside.org/cool-centers. Libraries, community centers and malls also offer relief from the heat.
Residents can sign up for emergency alerts through Alert RivCo at RivCoReady.org/AlertRivCo or by downloading the Genasys Protect app.
