While autumn has been relatively calm in Southern California so far, a Santa Ana event will bring strong winds to the area early this week.
Light winds out of the Mojave Desert on Monday will rush down the San Emigdio, San Gabriel, San Bernardino and Santa Ana mountains, resulting in hot, gusty weather throughout and west of the mountains.
Winds could gust upwards of 60 mph, toppling trees and power lines. Power outages and blocked roads are likely to result from such damage.
“The strong winds will blow across stretches of I-5 and I-15, making for treacherous driving conditions, especially for high-profile vehicles,” said AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff.
Duff added that blowing dust will add further danger to motorists on the roadways.
“Strong winds whipping across Southern California and the Colorado River Valley through Monday will lead to a high risk of wildfire ignition,” Duff said.
These winds could also buffet existing wildfires, threatening to spread the infernos.
The Canyon Fire is likely to be impacted by this event, despite being 95 percent contained as of early Monday morning.
“Any fire will quickly be fanned by wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph, with localized gusts exceeding 60 mph,” said Duff.
While downtown Los Angeles will escape the strongest winds, residents of Santa Barbara, Ventura, Oxnard and the San Bernardino area should prepare for a disruptive wind event.
“Residents will want to ensure that all loose outdoor items are secured or brought inside,” Duff said.
Winds are expected to die down on Tuesday morning, allowing calm, dry and sunny weather to ensue.
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