Forecasters have issued warnings for Southern California, indicating the potential for a “life-threatening and destructive” windstorm in the coming week. This situation is expected to elevate the wildfire risk in areas that are already recovering from recent devastating fires due to the combination of strong winds and lower humidity levels.
Meteorologists from the National Weather Service have predicted that wind gusts could reach up to 80 mph (129 kph) in large portions of Los Angeles and Ventura counties starting Tuesday through Wednesday. In some mountainous regions, isolated gusts might even exceed 100 mph (160 kph). The Los Angeles weather service also noted that “scattered downed trees and power outages are likely,” posing a significant threat to public safety and contributing to rapid fire growth should any fires ignite.
Further warnings highlight the possibility of downed trees, overturned large vehicles, and hazardous conditions off the coasts of Los Angeles and Orange counties, with potential disruptions anticipated at local airports. To mitigate the risks, public safety power shutdowns are being evaluated for nearly 300,000 customers in the region.
Particularly susceptible to extreme fire conditions are the areas affected by last month’s Franklin Fire, which ravaged 48 structures, primarily homes, around Malibu. This event was just one of nearly 8,000 wildfires that burned over 1 million acres (more than 404,600 hectares) across California last year.
In Southern California, persistent dry winds, such as the infamous Santa Anas, have led to warmer-than-normal temperatures, accompanied by a notable lack of rainfall this season. In contrast, Northern California has benefitted from several heavy storms.
According to climate scientist Daniel Swain from the University of California, Los Angeles, and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the “extreme precipitation disparity” between the northern and southern regions of the state is likely to continue throughout the winter. He noted that the weather systems affecting Northern California have brought relatively warm storms, thus maintaining higher-than-average temperatures across the state recently.
Notably, Southern California has not recorded more than 0.1 inches (0.25 centimeters) of rain since early May. Significant portions of the area have fallen into moderate drought conditions, as reported by the U.S. Drought Monitor. The anticipated winds are expected to dry out vegetation intensively, likened to an “atmospheric blow dryer,” which could result in an extended period of fire risk spreading into the denser hills and valleys, as Swain explained during a livestream on Monday. Furthermore, San Diego County is witnessing one of its most arid beginnings to the season and the driest nine-month period in over 150 years, according to Swain.
