By Reginald Stanley. Posted December 8, 2023, 8:41 PM.

Another Santa Ana Wind event, one of many this Autumn for the region, is setting up to impact Southern California this weekend.

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the inland valleys from 8 AM Saturday through Sunday afternoon. This Red Flag Warning covers the inland valleys of western Riverside County and southwestern San Bernardino County, while Wind Advisories will be in effect for the mountains. Strong high pressure building over the Great Basin will force Santa Ana Winds through wind-prone passes and canyons, as well as the typically wind-prone parts of the inland valleys. Gusts in the 20-30 MPH range are predicted this weekend, mostly west of the mountains, while higher gusts exceeding 40 MPH are possible in mountain and foothill locations. Sunday will feature warmer temperatures, while winds are not expected to be as strong as on Saturday. Very low humidities, potentially dropping below 15 percent in some locations, will exacerbate fire danger. Windy conditions will hinder overnight temperature and humidity recovery across many locations, while travel along all major interstate highways in mountain passes will also be impacted by the Santa Ana Winds. WeatherCurrents locations in Simi Valley and Riverside may experience some of the strongest winds in the WeatherCurrents network this weekend.

Slight cooling is in the forecast for Monday and Tuesday, before another, weaker offshore flow event sets up around the middle of the week.