Santa Ana winds causing power outages in Southern California
Winds could gust up to 80 mph at times and create an increased risk for wildfires through the Thanksgiving holiday.
By
Jessica Storm, AccuWeather Meteorologist
Published Nov 23, 2021 9:27 AM EDT
|
Updated Nov 25, 2021 11:29 AM EDT
Another round of disruptive Santa Ana winds will howl across Southern California through the Thanksgiving holiday, AccuWeather forecasters say.
On Sunday, places such as San Fernando and Chatsworth, California, had winds gust to around 70 mph as a Santa Ana event occurred. Santa Ana winds are high-speed and dangerous winds that periodically kick up and blow from the mountains to the coast in Southern California. As Thanksgiving approaches this week, the region is bound to have a repeat of the situation with feisty winds turning northeasterly once more.
An area of high pressure that was moving across the Great Basin Wednesday allowed a Santa Ana wind event to unfold, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Michael LeSeney said.
Top wind gusts in California for Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021.
Winds began to increase across Southern California on Wednesday night and will peak on Thanksgiving Day. A wind gust of 59 mph was reported in Ontario, California at 1 a.m. PST early on Thursday morning.
"The peak wind gusts will be between 30 and 50 mph, with isolated gusts to 60-75 mph and an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 80 mph," LeSeney said.
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Forecasters predict that winds will gradually lessen Friday and Saturday as the high pressure shifts away from the region. But, even a lingering stiff breeze on Friday, when combined with low humidity, can result in an elevated wildfire risk.
"The clockwise circulation of the high pressure is what creates a conducive situation for Santa Ana winds to take place," explained AccuWeather Meteorologist Alyssa Smithmyer.
As air pushes from the northeast downslopes across the terrain, winds will increase drastically. Forecasters urge travelers, especially those driving high-profile vehicles, to use caution when traveling in the area. Those planning to travel for Thanksgiving should exercise extreme caution and plan for extra time to get to their destinations. Not only will crosswinds be dangerous, but the wind can blow dust, which can cause visibility levels to drop quickly.
"In addition, these northeasterly winds will reduce the humidity levels across the region," LeSeney said, adding that the relative humidity could drop below 10% on Thursday and Friday, which will lead to an increased risk for wildfires.
The combination of low humidity and high winds is a dangerous recipe, especially placed in an environment like the drought-stricken Southwest.
Over 35% of California remains in exceptional drought, with most of the state in at least an extreme drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor. While the Los Angeles International Airport typically receives about 0.82 of an inch of precipitation throughout the month of November, it has so far only reported a trace of rain. Similarly, Oxnard, California, averages nearly an inch and a half of precipitation each November and has yet to report more than a hundredth of an inch as the month winds down.
The Storm Prediction Center has pinpointed an area of critical fire risk across Southern California for Thursday. Due to the risky nature of this event, a red flag warning has been issued from just east of Santa Barbara, California, to the Mexican border. This red flag warning is in effect until Friday evening, local time. This warning recommends residents and holiday visitors familiarize themselves with several potential escape routes in the event that a fire ignites.
Santa Ana winds are also known for bringing warm, dry air into the region. On Monday, Anaheim, California, recorded the highest temperature across the nation of 91 degrees Fahrenheit. Though Thanksgiving's Santa Ana event is not forecast to bring temperatures quite that high later this week, highs of 5-10 degrees above average are expected for many areas. Temperatures in Downtown Los Angeles could reach near 80 F Friday and Saturday.
While the Santa Ana event should begin to subside Friday, offshore winds will persist into the weekend, according to AccuWeather long-range meteorologists. Temperatures are likely to dip closer to average by the beginning of next week.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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News / Weather Forecasts
Santa Ana winds causing power outages in Southern California
Winds could gust up to 80 mph at times and create an increased risk for wildfires through the Thanksgiving holiday.
By Jessica Storm, AccuWeather Meteorologist
Published Nov 23, 2021 9:27 AM EDT | Updated Nov 25, 2021 11:29 AM EDT
Another round of disruptive Santa Ana winds will howl across Southern California through the Thanksgiving holiday, AccuWeather forecasters say.
On Sunday, places such as San Fernando and Chatsworth, California, had winds gust to around 70 mph as a Santa Ana event occurred. Santa Ana winds are high-speed and dangerous winds that periodically kick up and blow from the mountains to the coast in Southern California. As Thanksgiving approaches this week, the region is bound to have a repeat of the situation with feisty winds turning northeasterly once more.
An area of high pressure that was moving across the Great Basin Wednesday allowed a Santa Ana wind event to unfold, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Michael LeSeney said.
Top wind gusts in California for Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021.
Winds began to increase across Southern California on Wednesday night and will peak on Thanksgiving Day. A wind gust of 59 mph was reported in Ontario, California at 1 a.m. PST early on Thursday morning.
"The peak wind gusts will be between 30 and 50 mph, with isolated gusts to 60-75 mph and an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 80 mph," LeSeney said.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Forecasters predict that winds will gradually lessen Friday and Saturday as the high pressure shifts away from the region. But, even a lingering stiff breeze on Friday, when combined with low humidity, can result in an elevated wildfire risk.
"The clockwise circulation of the high pressure is what creates a conducive situation for Santa Ana winds to take place," explained AccuWeather Meteorologist Alyssa Smithmyer.
As air pushes from the northeast downslopes across the terrain, winds will increase drastically. Forecasters urge travelers, especially those driving high-profile vehicles, to use caution when traveling in the area. Those planning to travel for Thanksgiving should exercise extreme caution and plan for extra time to get to their destinations. Not only will crosswinds be dangerous, but the wind can blow dust, which can cause visibility levels to drop quickly.
"In addition, these northeasterly winds will reduce the humidity levels across the region," LeSeney said, adding that the relative humidity could drop below 10% on Thursday and Friday, which will lead to an increased risk for wildfires.
The combination of low humidity and high winds is a dangerous recipe, especially placed in an environment like the drought-stricken Southwest.
Over 35% of California remains in exceptional drought, with most of the state in at least an extreme drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor. While the Los Angeles International Airport typically receives about 0.82 of an inch of precipitation throughout the month of November, it has so far only reported a trace of rain. Similarly, Oxnard, California, averages nearly an inch and a half of precipitation each November and has yet to report more than a hundredth of an inch as the month winds down.
The Storm Prediction Center has pinpointed an area of critical fire risk across Southern California for Thursday. Due to the risky nature of this event, a red flag warning has been issued from just east of Santa Barbara, California, to the Mexican border. This red flag warning is in effect until Friday evening, local time. This warning recommends residents and holiday visitors familiarize themselves with several potential escape routes in the event that a fire ignites.
Santa Ana winds are also known for bringing warm, dry air into the region. On Monday, Anaheim, California, recorded the highest temperature across the nation of 91 degrees Fahrenheit. Though Thanksgiving's Santa Ana event is not forecast to bring temperatures quite that high later this week, highs of 5-10 degrees above average are expected for many areas. Temperatures in Downtown Los Angeles could reach near 80 F Friday and Saturday.
While the Santa Ana event should begin to subside Friday, offshore winds will persist into the weekend, according to AccuWeather long-range meteorologists. Temperatures are likely to dip closer to average by the beginning of next week.
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For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
Report a Typo