Wind advisories will remain in place in parts of the Southland until Friday afternoon as Santa Ana gusts continue in traditionally wind-prone areas, while temperatures were expected to linger above normal through the weekend.
Wind advisories that had been set to expire Wednesday afternoon were extended until 2 p.m. Friday for the Santa Clarita Valley, Calabasas, Agoura Hills, western Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area, the San Gabriel Mountains and the Golden State (5) and Antelope Valley (14) freeway corridors.
Forecasters said wind gusts of up to 50 mph were possible in the affected areas, continuing the risk of downed tree limbs and power lines.
While the advisories will remain in place, the National Weather Service called them “low end wind advisories,” noting that the winds were “under-performing” early Friday.
“High pressure and offshore flow will bring very warm and dry conditions across the region through the weekend,” according to the NWS. “Gusty Santa Ana winds will continue through the end of the week, mainly across portions of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. Today will be the warmest day of the next seven with a slow cooling trend starting Friday.”
The cooling trend will be gradual, with forecasters saying high temperatures will dip by about 1 to 2 degrees each day at the most. High temperatures in the upper 70s and mid-80s on Thursday were expected to fall to the mid-70s to lower 80s by Saturday. Despite the dip, high temperatures will still be roughly 8 to 12 degrees above normal through Saturday.
Temperatures will continue dropping slowly early next week, returning to near normal by Wednesday, forecasters said.