Storm to kick up Santa Ana winds in Southern California
A storm forming high in the atmosphere over the Southwest will bring Santa Ana winds to Southern California into Sunday. Spotty power outages are possible with some wildfire risk.
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A storm developing high in the atmosphere will take shape over the southwestern United States and send strong winds to the surface, bringing a couple days of Santa Ana conditions to Southern California.
"Typically, Southern California gets Santa Ana winds when high pressure builds inland into the Great Basin," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Houk said. "Into the weekend, the setup will be different, with less high pressure involved and more influence from a storm in the jet stream forming nearby overhead."
The storm will generate gusty northeast winds that howl over mountain passes, through canyons and into coastal areas of Southern California through Sunday.
"Winds could become strong enough to break tree limbs and topple shallow-rooted trees," Houk said. "If limbs contact power lines, sporadic outages are possible."
Since the region has received plenty of rain this winter — including 3-4 inches in Los Angeles just past mid-February — the brush remains green and moist despite recent heat.
"Anytime you get strong winds in Southern California, such as during a Santa Ana, there is some risk of wildfire ignition," Houk said. "In this case, however, the risk is low."
Even so, people should use caution with open flames and power equipment, as sparks can quickly start a fast-spreading fire.
Travel may be difficult for high-profile vehicles caught in crosswinds on open highways.
The high-flying storm could draw in enough moisture to trigger a stray shower over Southern California’s deserts, but shower chances are higher farther east in Arizona and New Mexico.
The setup will bring chilly air to the deserts and mountains of the interior Southwest, but that air will warm significantly as it flows downhill toward lower elevations along the Southern California coast.
Temperatures will climb well into the 80s on Saturday in downtown Los Angeles.
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