Strong winds will blow in the San Gabriel Mountains overnight ahead of a brief but significant warmup in the Southland, the National Weather Service said Friday.
A wind advisory issued by the NWS will be in effect in the San Gabriels from 10 Friday evening until 10 Saturday morning. The weather service forecast northwest-to-north winds of 20 to 30 miles per hour accompanied by gusts of 45 mph and possibly 55 mph.
“Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects and make driving difficult, especially for drivers of high-profile vehicles. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result,” the NWS said in a statement. “Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high-profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects, such as lawn furniture.”
The wind event also will feature low humidity, forecasters said, adding that the Antelope Valley, the Santa Monica Mountains and the Ventura County portion of the San Gabriels also will be swept by strong winds, although Friday’s wind advisory pertained only to the San Gabriels.
Humidity levels could drop to 15-20 percent in the Antelope Valley for a few hours Friday afternoon, “resulting in brief elevated fire conditions there,” the NWS said.
It added that “offshore flow and warmer temperatures are expected Sunday through Tuesday. The most concerning day is Monday, when Santa Ana winds will be at their peak and humidity will drop to near 10 percent at times. However, the wind is not expected to be all that violent, and any red flag conditions that materialize should be limited to a few hours in the mid morning through early afternoon hours.
A cooling trend is expected by the middle of next week as another weak weather system moves in, generating a small chance of rain, forecasters said. In the meantime, spring-like conditions will return to the region. Highs in Woodland Hills, for example, will be 84 degrees Sunday and 89 Monday. In Fullerton, the highs on those days will be 81 and 88, respectively.
In Orange County, minor coastal flooding is possible Saturday through Tuesday due to astronomical high tides, and a beach hazards statement will be in effect from late Friday evening through Tuesday morning, according to the NWS. A beach Hazards statement is somewhat less serious than a high surf advisory but, like the advisory, also envisions conditions threatening to surfers and swimmers, including strong rip currents, elevated surf heights, minor tidal overflow and, at times, lightning.
Friday, sunny skies were forecast in L.A. County, along with highs of 61 degrees on Mount Wilson; 64 in Avalon; 65 at LAX; 66 in Palmdale and Lancaster; 67 in Downtown L.A and Long Beach; 69 in Burbank and Saugus; 70 in San Gabriel; 72 in Pasadena; and 73 in Woodland Hills.
The pattern in L.A. County over the coming days is reflected by the 7-day forecast for Downtown L.A.: 67 Friday, 70 Saturday, 81 Sunday, 86 Monday, 79 Tuesday, 75 Wednesday and 71 Thursday.
Sunny skies were also forecast in Orange County Friday, along with highs of 52 degrees on Santiago Peak; 58 on Ortega Highway at 2,600 feet; 61 in Laguna Beach; 63 in San Clemente and at Fremont Canyon; 64 in Newport Beach; 66 at Trabuco Canyon and Mission Viejo; 67 in Yorba Linda, Anaheim and Fullerton; and 68 in Irvine.
As in L.A. County, Orange County temperatures will swing from relatively cool (for Southern California) Friday to unseasonably warm Monday to about normal Thursday. Anaheim, for example, is forecast to have highs of 67 Friday, 70 Saturday, 81 Sunday, 89 Monday, 82 Tuesday, 77 Wednesday and 72 Thursday.