Updated at 7:45 a.m., Jan. 23, 2015
A wind event lasting 24 hours will get underway in the Southland Friday night, with powerful gusts expected in the mountains, some of the valleys, and metropolitan Los Angeles, National Weather Service forecasters said.
They said strong, gusty north-to-northeast winds will develop late Friday across the mountains of Ventura and Los Angeles County and strengthen into Saturday. Wind gusts of between 65 and 70 miles per hour are expected in the San Gabriel and Santa Monica mountains Saturday, NWS forecasters said this morning, adding that there is also a possibility that 60-mph gusts will swirl in the Santa Clarita Valley.
The weather service issued a high wind warning that will be in force from 10 p.m. Friday to 10 p.m. Saturday in the San Gabriels and the Santa Monicas and a somewhat less serious high wind watch for the Santa Clarita Valley, now scheduled from “late” Friday to “late” Saturday night. A high wind watch will also be in force in Orange County for 24 hours starting at 10 tonight.
The weather service Friday morning added the San Fernando Valley and much of Los Angeles — the coast, beach communities, metropolitan L.A. including downtown, plus the Hollywood Hills — to the list of areas likely to be buffeted by powerful winds. It issued wind advisories that will be in effect in those areas from 3 a.m. Saturday to 3 p.m., saying winds will gust there at between 40 and 50 m.p.h.
Sustained wind speeds are projected to be between 25 m.p.h. and 35 m.p.h. in the mountains Friday evening, increasing to between 30 and 40 m.p.h. Saturday before dying down Saturday night. In the Santa Clarita Valley, 25-35 m.p.h. winds are expected while in the San Fernando Valley, a range of 20-30 m.p.h. is likely
Forecasters warned that winds may knock down trees and power lines. They added that gusts and cross winds could make driving challenging on Interstate 5, the Antelope Valley (14), Harbor (110), Ronald Reagan (118), Foothill (210) and San Diego (405) freeways, as well as Pacific Coast Highway, Coldwater Canyon Drive and Laurel Canyon Boulevard.
The weather service urged people planning to drive, residents and business owners to prepare for the approaching winds.
“Home and business owners should be prepared to secure all loose outdoor furniture in advance of the onset of strong winds,” the statement said.
Friday’s wind event will be the second in a row. Strong winds developed Wednesday night and died down Thursday afternoon.
The NWS forecast sunny skies Friday and highs of 62 degrees Fahrenheit in Palmdale and Lancaster; 65 on Mount Wilson; 67 in San Clemente; 70 in Avalon and Saugus; 71 in Newport Beach and Laguna Beach; 75 at LAX and in Yorba Linda; 76 in Fullerton, Pasadena and Woodland Hills; 77 in San Gabriel, Burbank, Anaheim, Mission Viejo and Irvine; and 78 in Long Beach and downtown L.A.
Temperatures will climb slightly Saturday and again Sunday before a cooling trend starts on Monday, when showers are expected. Showers are also expected Tuesday before a return of dry weather under partly cloudy skies.
—City News Service