Santa Ana Winds’ Heaviest Action Found on Inland Empire Freeways

Gusting Santa Ana winds blew over big rigs, whipped up dust storms and forced the closure of a stretch of heavily traveled Interstate 15 near Fontana in both directions Thursday.

Gusts hit 78 mph at Fremont Canyon in the Santa Ana Mountains between Orange and Riverside counties and 54 mph in Devore near the El Cajon Pass, the National Weather Service reported.

Although high-wind warnings were issued for the valleys, mountains and canyons of Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties, winds there were generally moderate Thursday and there were no reports of major damage. The heavier action was in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

The treacherous winds forced the California Highway Patrol to close Interstate 15 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. between Rancho Cucamonga and Devore, said Shelli Lombardo, a spokeswoman for Caltrans. Four big rigs on Inland Empire freeways were knocked onto their sides, and many other truckers pulled over to wait out the gusts. No serious injuries were reported.

“If we had more weight, we’d probably keep on going, but not like this,” said trucker Davis Lawson, who was stranded at a gas station off Interstate 215 near Fontana early Thursday afternoon. “Truck was rocking back and forth. We’re just going to have to wait it out.”

Lawson, who lives near Dallas, said he and his partner were en route to Albuquerque from San Diego.

“We’d always heard the wind gets bad out here,” he said.

Higher pressure building over the Southwest sent air sweeping out of the deserts and through the mountain ranges throughout Southern California, said National Weather Service forecaster Brad Doyle.

The agency issued high wind warnings for most of Southern California this afternoon. Gale warnings and small-craft advisories were posted for some coastal waters west-northwest of Los Angeles.

During the height of the winds, the Highway Patrol also closed one lane on westbound Interstate 8 in San Diego County, the CHP said.

Dell and Barb Winnett, of Spokane, Wash., were enjoying their brand-new motor home, heading south for the winter, when the RV started weaving and they were forced to stop. They joked that the wind almost pushed them onto the wrong freeway.

“My wife was saying, ‘Get on the 215’ and I said, ‘I’m trying, I’m trying,’ ” Dell Winnett said.

The retired couple left Spokane on Dec. 9 and traveled down the Oregon Coast, hitting almost constant bad weather. It was rain in Oregon and thick fog in Northern California. On Thursday, they got their first taste of the Santa Anas.

“We were just looking for some sunshine,” Dell Winnett said. “Now we’re here just watching the dust blow.”

Barb Winnett said she was prepared to stay until it was safe.

“We’re self-contained,” she said. “If we have to sit here all night, we’ll sit here all night.”

Times staff writer Eric Malnic and Associated Press contributed to this report.