A red flag warning signifying a high risk of wildfire will go into effect today in areas of the Southland, and the region will confront fire weather conditions through Saturday amid strong Santa Ana winds and low humidity, forecasters said.
The red flag warning will be in effect from 3 p.m. today until 3 p.m. Saturday in the Santa Clarita Valley, the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, L.A. County’s Angeles National Forest and the Los Padres National Forest in Ventura County. A sharp drop in humidity levels is expected in those areas beginning this afternoon, forecasters said.
A less severe fire weather watch will be in force from late today through Saturday afternoon in the San Fernando Valley, the Santa Monica Mountains, inland areas of Orange County and the valleys of Ventura County.
“During this time, there will be rapid drying with single-digit humidity becoming common across the higher elevations,” according to a National Weather Service statement. “Thursday through Saturday, gusty Santa Ana winds will bring significant warming and drying to much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.”
Forecasters said the strongest winds are likely to occur Thursday into Friday, with gusts between 35 and 45 miles per hour possible in mountain and valley areas.
The strongest winds today are expected in the Interstate 5 corridor in the San Gabriel Mountains and the mountains of Santa Barbara County.
A combination of sunny and partly cloudy skies was forecast for Los Angeles County today, along with highs of 69 on Mount Wilson; 73 at LAX; 76 in Avalon; 78 in downtown L.A. and Long Beach; 79 in Palmdale, Lancaster, Burbank and San Gabriel; 82 in Pasadena; and 83 in Saugus and Woodland Hills.
L.A County temperatures will climb Thursday — by as much as 10 degrees in some communities — and by another several degrees on Friday, beginning a cooling trend Sunday.
Sunny skies are expected in Orange County today, along with highs of 71 in San Clemente; 72 in Newport Beach; 74 in Laguna Beach; 75 in Mission Viejo; 76 in Anaheim, Irvine and Fullerton; and 78 in Yorba Linda. Orange County highs will climb sharply Thursday and by another several degrees Friday before a decline begins in earnest Monday.
