As a strong cold weather system moves south through the Great Basin, much of California will be hit by dangerous wind gusts that are likely to down trees and knock out power.
The National Weather Service issued wind advisories, including high wind warnings, from Wednesday night through Friday, extending from the northern Sierra to coastal Orange County, including the Sacramento Valley, Mojave Desert , the mountains of Los Angeles County and much of the central coast. . Peak winds are expected to reach between 30 and 65 mph on Thursday, with some gusts reaching 100 mph, forecasters predict.
“Damaging winds will bring down large objects such as trees and power lines,” weather officials warned. “Power outages are expected. “Travel will be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles.”
Strong wind warning for the Sierra and wind warning for much of the Valley. Stronger winds are expected on Thursday. High winds will cause difficult driving conditions in these areas, as well as downed trees and power outages. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/54JXQW3WI4
– NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) March 13, 2024
The cold air and blustery winds from the low pressure system are ideal conditions for a “moderate to strong Santa Ana wind event” in Southern California, said Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. The typically dry offshore wind pattern will push northerly and northeasterly winds toward Los Angeles, the Inland Empire and Orange County beginning Wednesday and will increase over the next 24 to 48 hours.
“We're going to see some northerly winds today,” Kittell said Wednesday, noting that wind speeds are expected in the 30 to 50 mph range, primarily affecting the 5 Freeway corridor, along Grapevine and through the mountains of Santa Monica.
But on Thursday, winds will shift eastward and increase in intensity, reaching between 45 and 65 mph in the Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys, in most of the mountains of Los Angeles County, in Malibu and throughout from the coast and valleys of Ventura County, Kittell. saying. Isolated gusts could reach 70 mph in the San Gabriel Mountains, he said.
Parts of Orange County, specifically below the coastal slopes of the Santa Ana Mountains and across the Cajon Pass in San Bernardino County, could see the strongest gusts, up to 100 mph, on Thursday, according to the Service. National Meteorological.
Winds in the mountains of the Inland Empire and Orange County are expected to reach between 50 and 75 mph and could reach up to 80 mph in some wind-prone canyons, weather officials said.
While Santa Ana winds typically create a wildfire threat, recent heavy rains have largely eliminated that concern for now, Kittell said.
However, with saturated terrain, there is a greater threat from downed trees, which could exacerbate power outages and create roadway hazards.
The storm could also bring showers and thunderstorms to the mountains and desert on Friday and Saturday, with a chance of snow above 6,000 feet.
