Santa Ana winds are set to hit Southern California on Thursday, Oct. 15, with gusts up to 70 mph in the mountains, and the National Weather Service has put most of Los Angeles and Ventura counties under Red Flag Warnings through Saturday.
The NWS office in Los Angeles expects northeast to east winds of 20 to 40 mph, with gusts of 50 to 70 mph, from 6 a.m. Thursday to 8 p.m. Saturday in the mountains of both counties. The winds should be strongest from Thursday afternoon through Friday afternoon. Humidity is forecast to drop to between 8 and 20 percent.
“If fire ignition occurs, conditions are favorable for extreme fire behavior which would threaten life and property,” the Red Flag Warning says. Forecasters also said the dry air will cancel out the effects of the recent rain.
Where the Strongest Winds Will Hit
The NWS also issued High Wind Warnings for the San Gabriel and Santa Susana mountains, the Interstate 5 and Highway 14 corridors and the western Santa Monica Mountains.
Farther south, the NWS office in San Diego expects gusts of 50 to 65 mph in the mountains of San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and up to 70 mph below the San Gorgonio Pass. Gusts in the Inland Empire could top 60 mph near the Cajon Pass. Those warnings run through Saturday night, and the winds there should be strongest on Friday.
“Widespread power outages are expected,” the San Diego office warned, adding that driving will be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles.
The wind event reaches beyond California too. The NWS issued High Wind Warnings for the Tucson area, with gusts of 55 to 70 mph, and for El Paso and parts of southern New Mexico, with gusts up to 65 mph.
Power Shutoffs and Fire Crews
Southern California Edison has warned it could cut power to parts of Malibu to lower the risk of a fire, CBS Los Angeles reported. The city told residents to “be prepared for power outages, cell service disruptions, traffic signal outages and possible evacuations.” KTLA also reported on the possible shutoff.
The state is also moving firefighters, aircraft and equipment into Orange, Ventura, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties. Those crews start deploying Thursday morning and will stay through Sunday, Oct. 18, according to the governor’s office.
The Los Angeles Fire Department stopped a brush fire in Brentwood early Wednesday after it grew to about 1.5 acres, according to CBS Los Angeles.
What Hikers Need to Know
If you’re planning a hike in the Santa Monica Mountains this week, check before you go. California State Parks, the National Park Service, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority have agreed on a new plan to close parkland on Red Flag days. Thursday is the first time they will use it.
Closures will be based on NWS forecasts, and the agencies said they will announce them the day before whenever possible. Access will vary by park.
How Long It Will Last
The NWS expects the winds to slowly weaken over the weekend. Until then, forecasters are asking people to be careful with anything that could spark a fire.
For the rest of the country, here’s where forecasters expect the first snow, 45 mph winds and freezing cold.
