By Reginald Stanley. Posted February 10, 2015, 1:32 PM.

Strong Santa Ana winds are predicted to blow through the region beginning Wednesday this week, lasting through Friday.

The National Weather Service has issued a High Wind Watch for the Inland Empire and all mountain areas, particularly west-facing slopes. At the lower elevations, the areas expected to be hit hardest are the San Bernardino-Riverside metro area and the San Jacinto valley. WeatherCurrents stations in Anza, Beaumont (Cherry Valley), Jurupa Valley, Riverside, and Simi Valley were already recording excessive wind gusts Tuesday afternoon. Wind gusts could exceed 45mph, and reach up to 60mph. This may also result in very high overnight temperatures Wednesday and Thursday in some communities.

Such events are very out-of-season for this time of year, during a month which is normally one of the wettest of the year in Southern California. Instead, February 2015 has begun with unseasonably warm temperatures and occasional offshore wind events, continuing from January.