Community Corner
Gusty Santa Ana Winds to Hit the Southland Today
With Santa Ana winds and low humidity levels, the risk of wildfire is up.
Gusty Santa Ana winds will buffet the Southland today amid low humidity levels, creating the risk of wildfire as perilous swimming conditions develop along the coast, National Weather Service forecasters said.
A wind advisory, indicating that winds of 35 miles per hour or greater are expected, was scheduled to be in effect until 3 p.m. in the San Gabriel and Santa Monica mountains and the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys. In coastal areas of Orange County, the advisory was scheduled to expire at 2 p.m.
NWS forecasters said they expect northeast winds of between 20 and 30 miles per hour, gusting to 50 mph, in the mountains, and almost the same in the
Santa Clarita Valley. In the San Fernando Valley and along the Orange County
coast, winds are expected to blow at strengths of between 15 and 25 mph, gusting to around 35 mph.
Find out what's happening in Diamond Bar-Walnutwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"The gusty winds combined with lowering humidities will bring heightened fire weather concerns to the region" said an NWS advisory.
NWS forecasters also said they expect winds of between two and four feet, along with "very strong currents and dangerous swimming conditions," along the coast in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
Find out what's happening in Diamond Bar-Walnutwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The winds are expected to diminish this afternoon but may intensify Saturday morning and prompt additional advisories, according to the NWS.
The high winds could make for difficult driving conditions, especially for motorists in high profile vehicles. Motorists also should be on the lookout for downed limbs and power lines, according to the NWS.
The Santa Anas, the result of surface high pressure building over the Great Basin this morning, will generate above-normal temperatures, according to the NWS, which forecast highs today of 56 on Mount Wilson; 59 in Palmdale; 60 in Lancaster; 64 in Saugus; 68 in Newport Beach; 69 in Avalon; 70 in Woodland
Hills and at LAX; 72 in Pasadena; 73 in Anaheim, Burbank and San Gabriel; 74 in downtown L.A. and Long Beach.
Saturday's temperatures will be a few degrees higher, and warm, dry conditions are expected to persist over the weekend. But the NWS warned in an advisory that a low pressure system developing over Russia's east coast could reach the West Coast of the United States between Monday night and Tuesday and bring a "significant cooling trend and possibly a wet weather pattern, around mid week next week."
