Wind Danger: Watch Out For Downed Trees and Power Lines

A cold front today will bring the Southland strong winds, high surf, snow as low a 3,000 feet, and an elevated danger of fire, National Weather Service forecasters said.

The winds will blow in a northwest-to-north direction before shifting to the northeast tonight into Tuesday, an NWS statement said, adding the strongest winds would sweep the mountains, the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys, and parts of Ventura County, generating damaging gusts of 70 miles per hour, and even 80 mph in some mountain areas.

Also expected to experience damaging gusts of between 45 and 60 mph are the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys and the L.A. coastal zone, which includes beach cities, metropolitan Los Angeles, the downtown area and the Hollywood Hills.

“This wind event has the potential to bring numerous downed trees and power lines, especially considering the widespread weakened and diseased trees due to the drought,” the statement said.

“In the Antelope Valley, there will be the strong potential for blowing dust and sand which could locally reduce visibilities to near zero at times. Other potential impacts include hazardous driving for high-profile vehicles, strong northerly cross winds at LAX, and elevated fire danger.”

In the San Gabriel Mountains in both Los Angeles and Ventura counties, a winter weather advisory will be in effect through this morning, an NWS statement said, adding showers will persist in the northern San Gabriels through this morning, and the snow level will fall to between 3,000 and 4,000 feet, with between three and seven inches of accumulation likely, with the greatest accumulation expected above 4,500 feet.

Travel across the region could be affected, a statement said, forecasting icy roads and between one and three inches of accumulated snow on Interstate 5 near The Grapevine this morning.

A winter weather advisory will be in effect in the San Gabriels until 10 a.m., and a gale warning will be on effect in Southern California’s coastal waters until 9 tonight.

Off the coast, northwest winds of 25 to 35 knots per hour are expected, gusting to 45 or 50 knots per hour.

“Combined seas of 18 to 21 feet ... are expected when waves are largest,” a statement said, urging inexperienced sailors to seek safe harbor before the onset of gale conditions.

The worst seas will be along the Central Coast, but surf of five to eight feet is expected along west-facing beaches in L.A. and Ventura counties.

“Surf this large will result in dangerous rip currents,” a statement said. “Inexperienced swimmers and surfers should stay out of the water. Also avoid jetties, rock walls, and cliffs, as large crashing waves can overtop these areas.

The NWS forecast sunny skies today and highs of 49 on Mount Wilson; 50 in Palmdale and Lancaster; 56 in Saugus; 62 in Avalon; 64 in Pasadena, San Gabriel. Burbank and Woodland Hills;65 in Mission Viejo; 66 at LAX, in San Clemente, Fullerton, Irvine, Long Beach and downtown L.A.; 67 in Anaheim; 68 in Laguna Beach and Yorba Linda; and 69 in Newport Beach.

Temperatures will be generally higher Tuesday, up to 8 degrees higher, and will climb several degrees more, up to 10, on Wednesday and a few more on Thursday before they start to retreat on Saturday, though they will still be more than 10 degrees higher than today in some communities.

City News Service; Photo: Shutterstock