It’s going to be a windy weekend for Southern California as Santa Ana winds return to the region.
A wind advisory is in effect through Sunday afternoon for much of the Southland as some areas face isolated gusts up to 70 mph. The National Weather Service warns that Saturday may be the peak of the advisory and with it comes the potential for some damage.
“With the recent rains that we had, we’re looking at a low risk of fires, but there is more of an increased risk of downed trees and localized power outages, as well,” NBC4 meteorologist Stephanie Olmo said.
On average, the winds may be fairly strong for a good portion of the region.
“We’re looking at gusts from time to time around 30 to 40 mph in some of these wind-prone areas,” Olmo said. “This will continue into Sunday; however, Sunday won’t be as strong. But it’s still going to be a little bit breezy in some spots.”
The wind-prone areas Olmo referred to include two major sections of the Southland. The first is made of Ventura County and parts of northern Los Angeles County, such as the Grapevine, the valley and areas bordering Ventura. The second is comprised of the Inland Empire and Orange County.
Santa Ana winds are a dry and warm wind sensation that comes from the desert. Since they are warm, they often affect the temperature in Southern California.
“So, we will notice this slow warming trend all the way through next week,” Olmo said. “By next week, temperatures will be warming up into the upper 70s and even low 80s in a few spots.”