Gusty cross winds will swirl in the Southland Monday, with the strongest occurring along the Interstate-5 corridor in the San Gabriel mountains and the Santa Clarita Valley, as the region continues to bake in above-normal temperatures for a second week.
Forecasters said there’s a potential for downed power lines and trees. hazardous driving conditions for high-profile vehicles, and sporadic power outages.
In the San Gabriel Mountains, where northwest-to-north winds 20 to 30 mph are expected, with gusts of up to 50, a wind advisory will be in effect until 9 a.m. Tuesday.
In the Santa Clarita Valley, a wind advisory went into effect at 7 a.m and will expire at 5 Monday afternoon. Forecasters expect northwest-to-north winds of 15 to 25 ph, with 35-mph gusts.
Both in the San Gabriels and the Santa Clarita Valley, the strongest winds will blow along Interstate 5, according to the NWS.
“Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects and make driving difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles,” warned the NWS. “Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result,”it warned, saying roads affected by the wind will include Highway 33 in Ventura County and both Interstate 5 and the Antelope Valley (14) Freeway in L.A. County.
“Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high-profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects,” urged the NWS.
Strong winds were chronicled overnight, including 47 mph on Whitaker Peak in the San Gabriel Mountains, 40 mph at Castaic Lake in the Santa Clarita Valley, and 40 mph at Poppy Park in the Santa Clarita Valley.
The heat wave that began last week is the Southland’s first of the year. It will produce highs in the 80s Monday and the 90s in several communities on Tuesday, though not in Orange County.
Offshore, a gale warning will be in effect until 3 a.m. Wednesday amid northwest winds of 25 to 35 knots per hour and combined seas of up to 9 to 2 feet, according to the NWS. Sailors were urged not to leave port in these conditions.
The NWS forecast partly cloudy skies Monday and highs of 72 on Mount Wilson; 74 at LAX; 77 in Avalon and Long Beach; 80 in Downtown L.A.; 83 in Burbank; 84 in San Gabriel and Pasadena; 86 in Palmdale and Lancaster; 87 in Saugus; and 88 in Woodland Hills. Temperatures will rise into the 90s in several communities Tuesday, reaching 96 in Woodland Hills and 95 in Saugus, slip to the low 90s Wednesday, then the 80s through at least Sunday.
A combination of sunny and partly cloudy skies was forecast in Orange County, along with highs of 66 on Santiago Peak; 70 in San Clemente and Laguna Beach; 71 in Newport Beach; 73 on Ortega Highway at 2,600 feet; 76 at Fremont Canyon; 80 in Mission Viejo; 81 in Fullerton; and 82 in Yorba Linda, Mission Viejo, Irvine and Anaheim. Temperatures will remain in the 80s through Sunday in most communities, with no highs in the 90s expected.