Santa Ana conditions to bring powerful winds, dry and warm conditions to L.A.
Strong winds downed dozens of trees and power poles and ripped off rooftops across Southern California last weekend. Forecasters say powerful winds are expected in Los Angeles and Ventura counties this weekend.
Another round of powerful winds will bring Santa Ana conditions to Los Angeles and Ventura counties through the weekend, and possibly into early next week.
Winds could top off at 50 mph in the mountains and 45 mph in the valleys as a high pressure system builds across the area Friday afternoon through Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
As strong wind gusts sweep over the area, dry and warm conditions will push temperatures into the high 80s along the coast and in the valleys. Humidity will also drop into the single digits. That’s bad news for Southern California’s fire danger.
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Although higher-than-normal rainfall associated with El Niño has helped lessen the risk of wildfires in Northern California, drought-stricken Southern California hasn’t been so lucky, according to the National Interagency Coordination Center.
Precipitation has reached only near-normal levels in Southern California, so high winds and warm and dry conditions could be problematic for the area for the next several days, forecasters say.
“No rain in sight for at least the next seven days,” said forecasters from the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
Powerful winds topping 70 mph wreaked havoc in Southern California on Sunday and Monday, toppling trees and causing widespread power outages. In San Diego, strong winds knocked a massive tree onto a car in Pacific Beach, killing a woman inside.
Similar conditions are possible over the weekend, forecasters said.
Forecasters warned the high winds could create hazardous driving conditions, cause power outages and bring down tree limbs.
Along the coast, high surf is expected Friday in Central California as well as Los Angeles and Ventura County beaches.
Surf could reach 18 feet at beaches along the central coast. Ten-foot surf could strike near Ventura Harbor.
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