Gusty winds to fuel elevated fire risk in Southern California through week's end
By
Renee Duff, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated Nov 27, 2020 2:54 PM EDT
Christmas trees are a holiday staple in many homes, but they can pose a fire hazard if not handled properly. Follow these tips to keep your holidays from going up in flames.
Atmospheric conditions will set up just right for a period of strong winds, known as Santa Anas, to whip through Southern California and create heightened wildfire concerns through Friday night.
"As high pressure builds across the interior West, a Santa Ana event is expected to unfold across the region to end the holiday week, bringing an increased wildfire threat, as well the potential for some localized damaging winds," AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda said.
Santa Ana wind events are typical across the region during the fall months and their impacts on wildfire ignition and spread can be significant.
"The air with these winds descends from high to lower elevations, which causes it to accelerate and become even drier," Sojda said.
Red flag warnings have been put into effect by the National Weather Service through Friday evening in anticipation of the dry, gusty winds.
On Thanksgiving Day, Southern Edison began shutting off power in parts of Southern California amid strong Santa Ana winds. As of Thursday afternoon, about 5,000 customers were without power, the numbers split across Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Another 106,000 customers are "under consideration" by the Edison for a public safety power shutoff, the majority across Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, according to Southern California Edison's website.
The strongest wind gusts, on the order of 50-60 mph with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 70 mph, will blow across the mountains and through the northeast- to southwest-oriented canyons and passes through Friday night.
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Even though this event will not be characterized by a sudden jump in temperatures as some Santa Ana wind events are, the dryness of the air, combined with the gusty winds and parched ground, can make up for the lack of heat in this case.
Highs are forecast to be near to slightly above average through Friday, generally in the upper 60s to lower 70s F.
The rain-free and seasonable conditions will offer up residents excellent opportunities for safe and socially-distanced outdoor holiday gatherings.
Outdoor cooking should be done with utmost caution, however, and flames should be fully extinguished before leaving the area. Any spark can be quickly fanned into a raging inferno given the gusty winds anticipated. Caution should also be exercised when using outdoor power equipment, and cigarette butts and matches should be properly discarded.
Lawn furniture, planters and other loose outdoor objects should be secured or properly stowed away to prevent them from being tossed around in the windy weather.
"Along with the high fire threat, the wind gusts can also be locally strong enough to cause some damage to trees and power lines, especially in canyons and passes where the wind gets funneled on its way to the coast," Sojda said.
Live power lines that are downed can also be sources of sparks that may ignite a wildfire.
Drivers along portions of interstates 5 and 15 will need to keep a firm grip on the steering wheel to avoid crossing over into other lanes of traffic. High-profile vehicles will be especially susceptible to the strong winds.
Winds will lessen over the weekend, but AccuWeather meteorologists are already looking ahead to the middle of next week when yet another Santa Ana wind event may unfold.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Weather Forecasts
Gusty winds to fuel elevated fire risk in Southern California through week's end
By Renee Duff, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated Nov 27, 2020 2:54 PM EDT
Christmas trees are a holiday staple in many homes, but they can pose a fire hazard if not handled properly. Follow these tips to keep your holidays from going up in flames.
Atmospheric conditions will set up just right for a period of strong winds, known as Santa Anas, to whip through Southern California and create heightened wildfire concerns through Friday night.
"As high pressure builds across the interior West, a Santa Ana event is expected to unfold across the region to end the holiday week, bringing an increased wildfire threat, as well the potential for some localized damaging winds," AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda said.
Santa Ana wind events are typical across the region during the fall months and their impacts on wildfire ignition and spread can be significant.
"The air with these winds descends from high to lower elevations, which causes it to accelerate and become even drier," Sojda said.
Red flag warnings have been put into effect by the National Weather Service through Friday evening in anticipation of the dry, gusty winds.
On Thanksgiving Day, Southern Edison began shutting off power in parts of Southern California amid strong Santa Ana winds. As of Thursday afternoon, about 5,000 customers were without power, the numbers split across Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Another 106,000 customers are "under consideration" by the Edison for a public safety power shutoff, the majority across Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, according to Southern California Edison's website.
The strongest wind gusts, on the order of 50-60 mph with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 70 mph, will blow across the mountains and through the northeast- to southwest-oriented canyons and passes through Friday night.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Even though this event will not be characterized by a sudden jump in temperatures as some Santa Ana wind events are, the dryness of the air, combined with the gusty winds and parched ground, can make up for the lack of heat in this case.
Highs are forecast to be near to slightly above average through Friday, generally in the upper 60s to lower 70s F.
The rain-free and seasonable conditions will offer up residents excellent opportunities for safe and socially-distanced outdoor holiday gatherings.
Outdoor cooking should be done with utmost caution, however, and flames should be fully extinguished before leaving the area. Any spark can be quickly fanned into a raging inferno given the gusty winds anticipated. Caution should also be exercised when using outdoor power equipment, and cigarette butts and matches should be properly discarded.
Lawn furniture, planters and other loose outdoor objects should be secured or properly stowed away to prevent them from being tossed around in the windy weather.
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"Along with the high fire threat, the wind gusts can also be locally strong enough to cause some damage to trees and power lines, especially in canyons and passes where the wind gets funneled on its way to the coast," Sojda said.
Live power lines that are downed can also be sources of sparks that may ignite a wildfire.
Drivers along portions of interstates 5 and 15 will need to keep a firm grip on the steering wheel to avoid crossing over into other lanes of traffic. High-profile vehicles will be especially susceptible to the strong winds.
Winds will lessen over the weekend, but AccuWeather meteorologists are already looking ahead to the middle of next week when yet another Santa Ana wind event may unfold.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo