Latest round of Santa Ana winds will be ‘nothing like last time’

The Pasadena and Glendale region should be spared the heavy destruction caused by a massive windstorm Nov. 30, according to the National Weather Service.

A high wind warning from 3 a.m. Friday to 3 p.m. Saturday mostly affects the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys, with 60 mph gusts possible amid sustained winds of 40 mph.

Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said the more “classic” Santa Ana wind pattern would be “nothing like last time” -- referring to the windstorm that swept through the San Gabriel Valley overnight Nov. 31, causing tens of millions of dollars in damage, felling hundreds of trees and spurring widespread power outages.

No wind advisory is planned for the Pasadena region, which saw the heaviest damage two weeks ago. Northeasterly winds are expected to reach 15 mph in the area through Saturday, according to the weather service.

In the Glendale-Burbank area, which falls under the advisory, winds could be stronger, with gusts of up to 50 mph, and sustained winds of about 25 mph through Saturday.

The Nov. 31 windstorm saw sustained winds of more than 80 mph.

Still, local officials said they weren’t taking any chances, and public works and utility crews would be on full alert.

“Our main concern is the trees and properties that are already compromised,” said Lisa Derderian, emergency services coordinator for Pasadena. “It wont take much more to fully damage or destroy them.”

Some homes still have unstable roof structures, compromised trees and lose tarps that can cause additional damage, she added.

In the last week, Pasadena city workers have collected 18,000 tons of debris created by the powerful windstorm -- or roughly what the city normally picks up in a year.

Weakened trees that fall on power lines could also cause more outages, Glendale spokesman Tom Lorenz warned.

-- Jason Wells and Adolfo Flores, Times Community News

Twitter: @JasonBretWells, @AdolfoFlores3