A swirling mass of air forming above Southern California late Sunday, Dec. 6, will drive the return of powerful Santa Ana winds and a heightened risk of wildfire across the region through the start of the week.
The low pressure system forecast to develop overnight will set the stage for warmer temperatures and gusty conditions beginning Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Winds could reach between 40-50 mph in portions of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, and should whip up to 60 and 70 mph in the most wind-prone mountains and valleys.
The most extreme gusts may take place late Monday evening through Tuesday morning. In addition, relative humidity will remain below 15 percent in the first half of the week. Conditions ripe for forest fires prompted authorities to issue a red flag warning effective across Southern California from 4 a.m. Monday until 10 p.m. Tuesday.
More #SantaAnaWinds on the way. Late Sun night through Tue, moderate to strong NE to E winds across much of SW California, including Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties. #SOCal #CAwx #CAfire pic.twitter.com/paIw0uIhUe
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) December 6, 2020
Meanwhile, firefighters in Orange County continued working to snuff out a massive blaze stoked by an earlier bout of Santa Ana winds in the Silverado Canyon area. The Bond fire began Wednesday, Dec. 2 and had consumed 28 structures and over 7,300 acres by Sunday morning. It was 50 percent contained ahead of the red flag conditions forecast to arrive Monday.
“The main thing is to get any hotspots taken care of in anticipation of this Santa Ana wind event coming Monday,” Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Thanh Nguyen said. “We have 1,500 personnel working around the clock. We’re on guard, and we’re ready for it.”
Winds should subside late Tuesday, but a warming trend at the start of the week will last through Wednesday. Temperatures on Monday should rise to 69 degrees in Lake Forest, 71 degrees in Hemet, 72 degrees in Rancho Cucamonga, 74 degrees in Chatsworth, Pasadena and Long Beach, and 75 degrees in Anaheim. Tuesday should be the hottest day of the work week, with highs projected in the high 70s to mid 80s.
https://goo.gl/hYDEHJ
No comments:
Post a Comment