Strong and potentially damaging winds will lash away at mountain, valley, coastal and urban areas of Los Angeles County Monday and Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
Following a dry cold front, the winds will pick up Monday afternoon and blow in a west-to-northwest direction, then strengthen as they turn northerly Monday evening and Tuesday morning, said an NWS statement.
A wind advisory will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Los Angeles County portion of the San Gabriel Mountains,, immediately followed by a more serious high wind warning, which will be in force until 9 a.m. Tuesday.
Winds of between 20 and 30 miles per hour gusting to 45 mph will develop Monday morning, then increase Monday afternoon to between 30 and 45 mph with 65- mph gusts, warned an NWS statement. The strongest winds in the San Gabriels will be in the Interstate 5 Corridor.
A wind advisory is issued in anticipation of winds or gusts of 35 mph. A high wind warning signifies an expectation of 58-mph winds or gusts.
“Winds this strong may down trees and power lines, causing property damage or power outages,” said the NWS statement. “Cross winds can make driving difficult, especially for drivers of high-profile vehicles and vehicles towing trailers.”
Such strong winds could seriously impede visibility by churning up dust and sand, warned the statement, which also urged residents to “be prepared to secure all loose outdoor furniture in advance of the onset of strong winds.”
In the Antelope Valley, a wind advisory will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., immediately followed by a high wind warning scheduled to expire at 3 a.m. Tuesday. Northwest winds of 20 to 30 mph accompanied by 45-mph gusts are blowing in the Antelope Valley Monday morning and expected to increase to between 25 and 40 mph, with 60-mph gusts, Monday afternoon through late Monday evening. The strongest winds will be in the western Antelope Valley and the foothills, NWS forecasters said.
A wind advisory will go into effect at noon in the Santa Clarita Valley, where it will expire at 6 p.m. and be replaced with a high wind warning lasting until Tuesday morning. NWS forecasters said winds of 20-30 mph gusting to 45 mph are expected in the Santa Clarita Valley Monday afternoon, strengthening to between 25 and 40 mph with 60-mph gusts Monday evening into Tuesday morning.
Also issued early Monday morning were wind advisories for the Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area, the San Fernando Valley, Santa Catalina Island, L.A. County beach cities, metropolitan Los Angeles, Downtown L.A. and the Hollywood Hills. These advisories will be in force from 3 p.m. Monday to 9 a.m. Tuesday. No high wind warnings were immediately issued for these areas.
Winds of 20 to 30 mph gusting to 45 mph are expected in the Santa Monicas and the San Fernando Valley, while in Santa Catalina, along the L.A. County coast and in the city of L.A., it will blow at 15-25 mph, gusting to around 35 mph, according to NWS forecasters.
Strong winds were also forecast in Orange County, but as of Monday morning they were expected to remain below advisory level.
Along the coast, a small craft advisory will be in effect until 11 this morning, and a gale watch will be in force from Monday morning through Tuesday morning. The NWS forecast northwest winds of between 20 and 30 knots and seas of up to 10 to 13 feet.
A small craft advisory warns inexperienced mariners who sail small vessels to stay on dry land, while a gale watch is issued when winds of between 34 and 47 knots are probable and forecasters want sailors to review their plans to be out on the water.
Partly cloudy skies were forecast in L.A. County Monday, along with highs of 53 degrees Fahrenheit on Mount Wilson; 61 in Avalon; 62 in Lancaster; 63 in Palmdale; 65 at LAX; 66 in Saugus; 68 in Long Beach; 70 in Burbank and Downtown L.A.; 71 in Pasadena and Woodland Hills; and 72 in San Gabriel.
Sunny skies are forecast in L.A. County for six days starting Tuesday, and the week’s temperatures will range from the high 60s to the mid 80s, With Woodland Hills forecast to register a high of 87 on Wednesday.
The NWS forecast sunny skies in Orange County — Monday and at least for the next six days — and highs of 63 in Laguna Beach and San Clemente; 65 in Newport Beach; 67 in Mission Viejo; 70 in Irvine; 72 in Anaheim; and 73 in Fullerton and Yorba Linda. Temperatures over the coming days will range from the mid 70s to the low 80s.
—City News Service