Moderate to strong Santa Ana winds will affect all of Southern California. Peak winds today reached speeds of over 50 mph in San Diego, while some gusts up to 30 mph reached the coast. Critical fire weather will continue tomorrow with the strongest winds extending into the overnight hours. After sunrise the wind will ease but will remain gusty and it will be bone dry so the fire danger remains high.

A red flag warning is in effect for inland valleys until 7 p.m. Thursday for northeast winds of 15 to 25 mph and gusts of 35 to 50 mph. The Red Flag Warning for the mountains lasts until 11 a.m. Friday and is in effect for northeast winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts of 35 to 55 mph. Isolated gusts could reach up to 60 miles per hour, while humidity will drop to 5% to 15% across the county.

Even though the Red Flag warning level is not in effect along the coast, we will still experience northeast gusts of 10 to 30 miles per hour and dry conditions there.

The Santa Ana Wildfire Threat Index forecasts a “moderate” event for San Diego through Thursday, meaning fires will grow quickly once they ignite and become difficult to control.

Vegetation will dry out even more from these Santa Ana winds, so a spark of fire can lead to rapid fire growth. Now is the time to go over your evacuation plan with your household and keep your essential items ready for use. If you have not already done so, clear reasonable space around your home, but avoid using electrical equipment such as chainsaws, which could start a fire that could spread quickly in these dry conditions. Also check your vehicle for any abrasive objects that could cause a fire while you are driving.

Temperatures will be near or slightly above normal along the coast and valleys through Saturday, while temperatures will remain 5 to 10 degrees below normal in the mountains and deserts tomorrow. It will gradually get warmer here until the weekend.

Offshore winds will continue into Saturday, with sea breezes likely to return overnight Saturday into Sunday. Humidity will slowly recover as sea breezes return and temperatures gradually cool into next week. There is a slight chance of drizzle Monday night into early Tuesday morning.

It is important to remain fire safe as the season in Santa Ana lasts throughout the winter and until we see a proper storm, the fire danger remains elevated.

Highs from Thursday:
Coast: 70-79°
Inland: 73-80°
Mountains: 46-61°
Deserts: 70-73°

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