Alert archive / California / Wind Advisories in 2026

Wind Advisory 9, NWS Phoenix, AZ

April 3, 2026La Paz County, Arizona; Imperial County, Riverside County, California

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this wind advisory at Apr 3, 2026, 6:12 AM MST for La Paz County, Arizona; Imperial County, Riverside County, California. It was in force for 6 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 3, 2026, 6:12 AM MST (13:12 UTC)
Expired
Apr 3, 2026, 12:00 PM MST
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Phoenix, AZ

Counties La Paz County, AZ, Imperial County, CA, Riverside County, CA

The radar

The Yuma radar (KYUX), 120 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:10 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

San Diego, CA (KNKX), launched 12:00Z, 1.2 hours before the alert went out and 209 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, San Diego, CA at 12:00Z on 2026-04-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, San Diego, CA at 12:00Z on 2026-04-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 0 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
841 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
0 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
19 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

329 
WWUS75 KPSR 031312
NPWPSR

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
612 AM MST Fri Apr 3 2026

AZZ530-CAZ569-570-031900-
/O.NEW.KPSR.WI.Y.0009.260403T1312Z-260403T1900Z/
Parker Valley-Palo Verde Valley-Chuckwalla Valley-
Including the cities of Ripley, Ehrenberg, Martinez Lake,
Midland, Parker, Palo Verde, and Blythe
612 AM MST Fri Apr 3 2026 /612 AM PDT Fri Apr 3 2026/

...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON MST /NOON PDT/ TODAY...

* WHAT...North winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph.

* WHERE...In Arizona, Parker Valley. In California, Chuckwalla 
  Valley and Palo Verde Valley.

* WHEN...Until noon MST /noon PDT/ today.

* IMPACTS...Difficult driving conditions, especially for larger 
  vehicles traveling along roads with crosswinds. Light, unsecured 
  objects may become airborne.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Wind Advisory means that sustained wind speeds of between 30 and 
40 mph are expected, or wind gusts of between 40 and 58 mph. Winds 
this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile 
vehicles.

In addition, strong winds over desert areas could result in briefly 
lowered visibilities to well under a mile at times in blowing dust 
or blowing sand. Use extra caution.

&&

$$

CK
1 follow-up statement
036 
WWUS75 KPSR 031908
NPWPSR

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
1208 PM MST Fri Apr 3 2026

AZZ530-CAZ569-570-032015-
/O.EXP.KPSR.WI.Y.0009.000000T0000Z-260403T1900Z/
Parker Valley-Palo Verde Valley-Chuckwalla Valley-
Including the cities of Martinez Lake, Blythe, Palo Verde,
Ehrenberg, Parker, Ripley, and Midland
1208 PM MST Fri Apr 3 2026 /1208 PM PDT Fri Apr 3 2026/

...WIND ADVISORY HAS EXPIRED...

Current observations indicate that wind gusts are dropping below 
advisory threshold and should gradually continue to weaken 
throughout the afternoon.

$$

GL

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this wind advisory went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Phoenix, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before this wind advisory went out at Apr 3, 4:04 AM MST, 2 hours 8 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Slightly above normal temperatures will persist through today before readings warm again this weekend returning to around 10 degrees above normal.
  • Increasingly gusty north winds will impact locations through the lower Colorado River valley this morning with localized blowing dust possible.
  • There is a chance of a few showers and thunderstorms early next week across the eastern Arizona high terrain.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 3, 4:04 AM MST, 2 hours 8 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
404 AM MST Fri Apr 3 2026

.UPDATE...Updated Aviation Discussion...

&&

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Slightly above normal temperatures will persist through today
  before readings warm again this weekend returning to around 10
  degrees above normal.

- Increasingly gusty north winds will impact locations through the
  lower Colorado River valley this morning with localized blowing
  dust possible.

- There is a chance of a few showers and thunderstorms early next
  week across the eastern Arizona high terrain.

&&

.SHORT TERM /Today through Saturday/...

Mid-level water vapor imagery shows weak troughing across the
Desert SW with quasi linear flow across the region, additionally,
ridging can be seen building in the Eastern Pacific. Even with
broad troughing over much of Western CONUS our CWA is still under
slightly positive H5 height anomalies with heights expecting to be
near 574- 577 dam today and increasing to 576-579 dam by tomorrow
afternoon. This will lead to temperatures for today to be in the
upper 80s across the lower deserts and in the upper 70s in the
higher terrain areas. For Saturday, as heights aloft increase,
afternoon highs will be in the upper 80s to lower 90s across the
lower deserts and in the upper 70s in the higher terrain areas,
with some localized areas over 80F. The aforementioned ridging in
the Eastern Pacific will lead to a tightening in the pressure
gradient causing northerly breezy to windy conditions along the
Colorado River Valley. Current model guidance suggests peak winds
at the surface to be near 35-45 mph early this morning and lasting
into the late morning hours before weakening going into the
afternoon hours. The highest wind speeds are expected to be along
the ridge tops.

By Sunday heights aloft continue to increase as the ridge moves
farther east and over the Desert SW. This will cause temperatures
across the lower desert to climb back into the mid 90s, and lower
80s in the higher terrain areas. However, a short wave trough
looks to progress across northwest Mexico and southern Arizona on
Sunday. Along with this shortwave PWAT anomalies during this time
are expected to rise to over 200% of normal in the eastern portion
of the higher terrain. The latest NBM has lower PoP chances down
from 30-40% to now around a 15-20% chance, with QPF totals near
0.01". Most of the forecasted QPF is further to the east, into
Eastern Arizona into Western New Mexico.

&&

.LONG TERM /Sunday through Wednesday/...

By Monday any moisture introduced to the region Sunday will begin
to trend back towards normal, but looks to remain slightly above
normal, generally around 100-130% of normal. This lingering
moisture will help facilitate some cloud coverage over the region
throughout the week. Temperatures throughout the week will be in
the mid to upper 90s across the lower deserts. These temperatures
are in response to ridging over the region throughout most of the
workweek. By late into the week into the weekend models are
hinting at another troughing feature approaching the region, which
may help lower temperatures back towards normal.

&&

.AVIATION...Updated at 1105Z.

South Central Arizona including KPHX, KIWA, KSDL, and KDVT:
No major aviation concerns are expected during the TAF period.
Winds will be light today into tonight mostly following diurnal
trends. More of a north northeasterly flow will become dominant
tonight into Saturday providing northeasterly winds the bulk of
the time. However, due to local terrain affects, KPHX may switch
around to the southwest for a period Saturday morning before
mixing occurs mid morning. Clear to mostly clear skies are
expected to continue.

Southeast California/Southwest Arizona including KIPL and KBLH:
The main aviation concern will be breezy to windy conditions
through early afternoon. The strongest gusts are likely to be
focused at KBLH where readings will near 30 kt this morning. Given
these enhanced winds and the prevailing direction being from the
north, reduced VIS in blowing dust cannot be ruled out, but
confidence is too low to include mention BLDU in the TAF at this
time. At KIPL, peak gusts out of the N/NNE between 20-25 kt will
be more common. Clear to mostly clear skies are expected to
continue.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Dry weather returns to the region with temperatures hovering
slightly above normal through today. Minimum humidity levels are
expected to fall closer to 10% today. Tonight overnight recoveries
will deteriorate into a poor to fair 20-50% range. Enhanced wind
gusts 30-40 mph will be possible in western districts early to
late this morning creating elevated fire weather conditions, while
other areas will only see modest afternoon breeziness. Lighter
winds and temperatures rising to well above normal are then
anticipated for the weekend. Moisture is expected to briefly
increase across eastern Arizona this weekend potentially bringing
chances for showers and thunderstorms across the higher terrain on
Sunday.

&&

.PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AZ...None.
CA...None.
&&

SHORT TERM...Ryan
LONG TERM...Ryan
AVIATION...Kuhlman
FIRE WEATHER...Ryan/Kuhlman

Nearby

Wind Advisories in California, 2026Wind Advisories in Arizona, 2026Every wind advisory in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.