Southern California is preparing for yet another wave of powerful and potentially hazardous Santa Ana winds, occurring just over a month after a comparable wind event contributed to the Mountain Fire. This fire ravaged nearly 20,000 acres in Ventura County, forcing residents to flee for safety.
Over 10 million regional individuals face red flag warnings from Monday to Wednesday. This includes a “Potentially Dangerous Situation” warning for areas such as the San Gabriel and Santa Monica mountains, the Santa Clarita Valley, the coasts and valleys of Ventura County, and the western San Fernando Valley. The event commences at 10 p.m. on Monday and will continue until Tuesday afternoon.
A red flag warning indicating a potentially dangerous situation has been issued for the Santa Susana Mountains. It will remain in effect until 10 a.m. on Wednesday.
Forecasters predict wind gusts ranging from 50 mph to 80 mph, accompanied by humidity levels between 5% and 15%, that will affect the Santa Ana wind corridor’s coastal, valley, and mountainous regions.
Potentially Dangerous Situations are infrequently issued and are designated for the most severe occurrences; nonetheless, the impact of climate change is leading to a rise in the frequency of such events.
In the previous month, comparable Santa Ana winds contributed to a significant increase in the size of the Mountain Fire, which rapidly advanced through local neighborhoods, leading to mandatory evacuations and the closure of schools.
This week’s winds are anticipated to cause downed trees and power outages. The arid vegetation presents a significant risk, as any new sparks from downed power lines can escalate into large and dangerous wildfires.
The Santa Ana Wind Event is occurring at a time reminiscent of the Thomas Fire, which devastated more than 280,000 acres between December 2017 and January 2018, marking it as the ninth-largest wildfire recorded in California’s history. CalFire has reported that downed power lines ignited the Thomas Fire.
The weather service office in Los Angeles warned about the area’s most likely to experience significant impacts. These include the San Gabriels, Santa Susanas, western Santa Monicas extending into Malibu, and the valleys of Ventura County, particularly Simi Valley and Moorpark.
Additionally, the west San Fernando Valley, especially along the Highway 118/210 corridors from Porter Ranch to San Fernando and the hills above Camarillo extending into east Ventura, are expected to be severely affected.
Forecasters predict a significant rise in wind speeds starting late Monday morning, with conditions expected to intensify throughout the day. The peak is anticipated to occur Monday night and persist into Tuesday.
Starting Wednesday, conditions are expected to gradually improve as several warnings regarding Potentially Dangerous Situations are set to expire.
