Fire danger to persist into midweek in Southern California

While the peak wind speeds are in the past with the season's first Santa Ana wind event, gusty winds and a heightened fire threat will persist into Wednesday across Southern California.

Santa Ana winds are dry, gusty winds that blow towards the shore from inland desert regions, typically across Southern California during the autumn months.

While travel disruptions, flight delays and the risk of property damage and power outages will diminish on Wednesday, the dry air and a breeze will continue to cause some problems.

The brush has had several days to dry out following showers from this past weekend. Breezy conditions may be enough to keep the risk of wildfire ignition going through Wednesday.

"Motorists may still face reduced visibility at times as the winds kick up blowing dust or transport wildfire smoke," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Reneé Duff.

A woman died in Tustin, California, on Monday after strong Santa Ana winds caused a large eucalyptus tree to break and fall onto her car, according to the Los Angeles Times.

As of the most recent report, much of Southern California remained in severe to extreme drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor. While some rain dampened the area late last week, the recent string of dry, windy days has dried out. Combined with the gusty winds, the threat of new and worsening wildfires is heightened.

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