After a break in strong winds that allowed firefighters to make progress against the deadly wildfires in Southern California, gusty Santa Ana winds are expected to return this week.
This situation raises the threat of further destruction as humidity levels remain low and dry conditions continue.
High winds and red flag advisories, which indicate “a particularly dangerous situation,” are set to take effect Monday night and will last at least until Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
Winds in Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties could reach speeds of 55 to 70 mph, with even stronger gusts expected at higher elevations.
“If a fire ignition occurs, conditions will be favorable for extremely rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior, including long-range spotting, which could threaten lives and property,” warned the Los Angeles weather service office in an urgent red flag alert.
According to Accuweather, A storm developing offshore from Southern California paired with high pressure centered over the West will create yet another setup for dry, offshore winds from Monday to Wednesday.
“The magnitude and timing of the most intense wind gusts early week will depend on the location of a storm off the Pacific Coast,” explained AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok.
Forecasters warn that this upcoming round of strong winds from Monday to early Wednesday can rival the initial event in some areas that allowed the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst Fires to rapidly spread, with gusts to 60-80 mph possible across the cities of Ventura and Santa Clarita.
Winds in the immediate Los Angeles basin should not be quite as strong as that of the extreme and rare event last week. However, winds of any sort will pose a fire risk even in the most urban areas of L.A.
Winds of the magnitude forecast can make firefighting efforts extremely challenging and cause ongoing blazes to spread hastily. The AccuWeather Local StormMax™ for this wind event is 100 mph, and is most likely in the higher terrain and mountains surrounding the Los Angeles basin.
