'Particularly Dangerous Situation' fire weather threat looms in Southern California amid Santa Ana winds
Isolated wind gusts of 80-100 mph are possible in the San Gabriel Mountains, which are located north of Los Angeles.
Santa Ana winds trigger 'extreme' fire conditions
Residents in Southern California face an extreme fire weather threat Wednesday as dry conditions overlap with strong Santa Ana winds. Nov. 5, 2024.
LOS ANGELES – Residents in Southern California face an extreme fire weather threat Wednesday as dry conditions overlap with strong Santa Ana winds.
This threat has prompted the National Weather Service office in Los Angeles to issue a rare "Particularly Dangerous Situation" Fire Weather Warning for portions of Los Angeles and Ventura counties from Wednesday through Thursday morning, noting damaging wind gusts of 50-80 mph in the forecast.
The NWS added that isolated gusts of 80-100 mph are possible in the San Gabriel Mountains, which are located north of Los Angeles.
Powerful Santa Ana winds, along with extremely low humidity and dry vegetation, are creating a situation in which trees and powerlines could fall and produce the ignition for fast-spreading wildfires.
The Santa Ana winds, which are winds that blow from the Santa Ana Mountains southeast of Los Angeles, affect Southern California every year.
A woman's hair is blown as Santa Ana winds return to Los Angeles. Oct. 18, 2024. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times / Getty Images)
However, the NWS noted that this week, the Santa Ana winds are expected to be "stronger, more widespread, and longer duration."
Residents should expect a high risk of power outages and public safety power shutoffs during this Santa Ana wind event, the NWS said.