Forecast: Strong, gusty winds will be back as wildfires continue to ravage L.A. County
Wind speeds dipped slightly Thursday morning in Los Angeles County, offering a brief respite for firefighters battling the deadly wildfires that have continued to ravage the region.
But after that lull, winds are expected to pick back up Thursday night, according to Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s office in Oxnard.
“It’s not going to be [anything] like we saw yesterday [Wednesday] with the gusts of 80 to 100 miles per hour winds, but certainly enough to present some issues for the fires,” Wofford said. “At least until the middle of next week we’re going to be in that pattern.”
Ten people have died, more than 9,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed, and at least 130,000 residents are under evacuation orders. Experts say L.A. is not out of danger yet and that these fires have the potential to be the costliest wildfire disaster in American history.
Isolated pockets of gusty winds reached 35 mph in the Malibu area and 58 mph in the San Gabriel Mountains on Thursday morning, according to the weather service. For Thursday afternoon into Friday morning, winds are expected to reach 35 to 55 mph west of Santa Monica, the San Gabriel Valley and into Ventura County.
In portions of the L.A. basin west of the Hollywood Hills and the San Gabriel Valley foothills, localized gusts could reach 25 to 45 mph in that same time frame.
Winds are expected to drop back off Friday night into Saturday, with speeds picking back up Sunday into Wednesday of next week, according to the weather service. The peak is expected to be on Tuesday, with winds up to 30 to 50 mph for coasts and valleys and 50 to 60 mph for the mountains and foothills.
Late Wednesday, the National Weather Service downgraded the fire weather outlook for the region from “extremely critical” to “critical.”
Local fire officials acknowledged Wednesday that they were overwhelmed by the power and size of the four major fires burning in Los Angeles County.
Exacerbating the hazardous conditions, humidity levels remain low. No rain is forecast over the next few days.
“We’re not going to have any rain,” Wofford said, “so any spark that happens from whatever ignition source could certainly trigger some fires.”
The extreme winds propelled flames and embers that charred homes in Pacific Palisades, Altadena, Pasadena and Sylmar, among other areas of Los Angeles County. Such winds are not unusual for this time of year but are usually preceded or accompanied by winter rains to lower the risk of wildfires.
In San Diego County, the Santa Ana winds are also expected to remain strong into the weekend for the mountains and foothills, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Adam Roser, who works in the San Diego office. By Friday morning, residents can expect eastern and northeastern wind gusts of over 75 mph.
For the valley areas, gusts could range between 30 to 50 mph, Roser said. Coastal regions could see local gusts up to 30 mph.
Wind speeds are expected to drop off Friday afternoon across Southern California.
The life-threatening windstorm exploded into a crisis even worse than predicted, with embers flying an estimated two to three miles ahead of the fire.
A red flag warning remains in effect for the mountains and valleys of San Diego County until Friday at 6 p.m. Conditions are also dry, with relative humidity levels under 10%.
“It’s very dry out there and it’s going to occur again Friday,” Roser said. “Definitely critical fire weather conditions.”
Roser recommended that residents limit any outdoor burning of any kind. Motorists should make sure everything is in working order with their vehicles, especially if they’re driving near brush. Residents should create defensible space around their homes, especially in mountain areas, by clearing brush and branches from around their houses.
“Definitely give yourself a perimeter from all of that,” he said.
The fires in L.A. have caused terrible air quality conditions across the county. Here are ways you can protect yourself, and your children, from the health impacts of wildfire smoke.
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