Residents of Southern California should brace themselves as an onslaught of strong winds is poised to strike the region. The National Weather Service in San Diego issued a High Wind Warning from midnight tonight to 6 PM PDT Thursday, specifically targeting Orange County, parts of the Inland Empire, and Santa Bernardino County mountains. These areas could see gusts hitting the 60 to 80 mph mark, with "isolated gusts to 100 mph along and below the coastal slopes of the mountains," according to their early morning report.

The wind event is anticipated to rapidly escalate late tonight and soar through to Thursday afternoon with the strongest punch expected Thursday morning. The forecast ominously singles out specific locations where the gusts are set to menacingly surge, "Fremont Canyon of 110 mph at 7 AM Thursday, 65 mph at Ontario at 7 AM Thursday, and 120 mph at Marshall Peak at 5 AM Thursday." As residents prepare, it's advised to secure loose outdoor objects and be prepared for possible power outages and transportation disruptions.

Moreover, this forceful display of nature is not solely confined to winds, as a closed low pressure system promises to opportunistically toss chances of showers mainly for the mountains and inland valleys, along with a slight chance of thunderstorms for Friday and Saturday afternoons. Multiple advisories have also been put in place, further suggesting the desert regions and certain valleys could witness wind advisories that include gusts reaching up to 40 mph.

The calamitous weather conditions are likely to deeply impact various aspects of day-to-day life, including potential repercussions for aviation operations. The forecast has prompted concerns for areas of moderate updrafts and downdrafts that could affect flights. Pilots will have to navigate "westerly surface winds with gusts 25-40 kt... through San Gorgonio Pass and along the desert mountain slopes," as per the advisory issued by the National Weather Service. The marine sector isn't spared either, with a tweet from @NWSSanDiego warning of northeast winds Thursday that could "produce gusts to 25 knots or higher and hazardous conditions between Oceanside and San Clemente Island."

Here is an average wind gusts view of the strong offshore winds that start Wednesday night and peaking Thursday morning, from the north and shifting to the northeast direction #cawx pic.twitter.com/GbjSS9nFx4

— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) March 12, 2024

Following the tempest, conditions are forecasted to simmer down with chances of precipitation dropping below 10 percent for early next week. Californians hope to see a return to a normative state with "warmer and drier" conditions for early next week, offering a reprieve from the recent meteorological turmoil.