Strongest Santa Ana winds of the season set to blast Southern California

Southern California can expect the first strong Santa Ana winds of the season next week, the National Weather Service says.

The powerful winds, expected Tuesday, Nov. 15 through Thursday, likely will peak on Wednesday, with gusts of 35-55 mph in the Los Angeles area, said NWS meteorologist Richard Thompson.

Gusts could reach 65-75 mph in the LA County foothills and in the I-5 corridor, including the Cajon pass, Thompson said.

Though October and early November have been tame, strong gusts are normal at this time of year. The Santa Ana wind season typically runs from October through January.

Meanwhile, a different, northerly wind system is blowing in with some cool temperatures this weekend, though it won’t pack the punch of the Santa Anas, forecasters said.

The humidity will drop into the 8-15% range next week, elevating the risk for wildfires, though the recent rains could mitigate that, Thompson said. Temperatures should warm to the low to mid-70s.

In Orange County, Fullerton and Anaheim can expect 30-40 mph gusts; with Huntington Beach and Newport Beach seeing winds in the 25-35 mph range, according to NWS meteorologist Samantha Connolly.  Winds will be stronger in the Santa Ana mountains.

Across the Inland Empire, gusts will likely top 30-40 mph, Connolly said, reaching 60 mph in the mountains. Hemet and Lake Elsinore could see more wind than other spots, including Riverside and Temecula.

Wind will be the main weather story for #SoCal the next few days.

Tonight-Sun:
– Gusty N winds (35-50 MPH) across southern SBA county and the I-5 Corridor

Tue-Thu:
– Potential moderate to strong #SantaAnaWinds
– Widespread critical #FireWx conditions possible#CAwx pic.twitter.com/AO08PV0BB5

— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) November 12, 2022

It’s going to get a bit windy out there!

Santa Ana winds are expected Tue-Thu next week, peaking in strength on Wed.

The recent soaking rains have mitigated the fire weather concerns for this Santa Ana event. #cawx pic.twitter.com/xKgvunaRSY

— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) November 12, 2022

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