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Another Round Of Powerful Winds Heading Into SoCal
Strong Santa Ana winds are expected through Saturday.
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Karol Franks
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via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
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The Santa Ana winds have returned, with extra oomph.
A powerful windstorm will blow Friday afternoon through Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters expect the strongest winds will be Friday night into Saturday, with some gusts in the western San Gabriel Mountains getting as high as 80 miles an hour.
Other valley areas and the Santa Monica Mountains could get hit with 65 mile-an-hour gusts.
The current round of #SantaAnaWinds have diminished.
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) January 20, 2022
However, another round of stronger #SantaAnaWinds is expected Fri night-Sat. Wind gusts 50-70 MPH are likely with isolated gusts to 80 MPH. #cawx #lawind pic.twitter.com/50Goeyf1t9
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"In stronger events, we get entire trees that can fall," said NWS Senior Forecaster Mike Wofford. "Power lines can be toppled in the stronger situation. So those are the primary things that we'd be concerned about."
The NWS Oxnard and San Diego offices have posted high wind warnings for the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys, the Los Angeles County mountains, most of Ventura County, inland Orange County, the Inland Empire valleys and mountain ranges and the Banning pass.
The warnings extend from 3 p.m. Friday until 6 p.m. Saturday. There are also less severe wind advisories for the coast from Ventura County down through Orange County and in the San Gabriel Valley through Saturday afternoon.
Temperatures will plummet in some valleys Friday night, and the L.A. County Health Department has a cold weather alert posted for the Lancaster area through the weekend.
Safety tips from Southern California Edison
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- Watch for traffic signals that may be out. Approach those intersections as four-way stops.
- Make sure you have a battery-operated radio and flashlights. Check the batteries to make sure they are fresh. Use flashlights for lighting during a power outage; do not use candles because they may pose a significant fire hazard.
- If you’re in a vehicle with a fallen power line on it, stay in the vehicle and remain calm until help arrives. It is OK to use your cellphone to call 911. If you must leave the vehicle, remember to exit away from downed power lines and exit by jumping from the vehicle and landing with both feet together. You must not touch the vehicle and the ground at the same time. Then proceed away from the vehicle by shuffling and not picking up your feet until you are several yards away.
- Water and electricity don’t mix. Water is an excellent conductor of electricity. Do not step in or enter any water that a downed power line may be touching.
- Do not use any equipment inside that is designed for outdoor heating or cooking. Such equipment can emit carbon monoxide and other toxic gases.
- If you use a generator, place it outdoors and plug individual appliances directly into it, using a heavy-duty extension cord. Connecting generators directly to household circuits creates “backfeed,” which is dangerous to repair crews.
- Leave the doors of your refrigerator and freezer closed to keep food as fresh as possible. Place blocks of ice inside to help keep food cold. Check food carefully for signs of spoilage.
- Check on your neighbors to make sure everyone is safe.
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