Residents in the San Diego area are waking up to another day of strong Santa Ana winds, with the National Weather Service (NWS) San Diego reporting easterly to northeasterly gusts that could reach up to 65 mph in some areas. The NWS has extended their wind advisory this evening and warned of very dry conditions with daytime humidity around 10 percent, making the risk of wildfires particularly high. A Red Flag Warning is in effect until 6 PM PST today, underscoring the potential danger for Orange County and surrounding regions.
These conditions are captured in an NWS update. Also note that while temperatures are expected to be slightly warmer today, we should anticipate the winds to begin dying down by the afternoon and evening. This respite, however, may be short-lived, as the NWS also outlines a return to drier conditions with possible gusty Santa Ana winds in the coming week. Areas such as the inland valleys and mountains are particularly affected, where low humidity and strong winds can rapidly escalate fire spread.
The latest Area Forecast Discussion from the National Weather Service indicates that the current Santa Ana winds are expected to taper off by the end of today. However, the region isn't clear yet. "The lower level flow will become onshore on Thursday and strengthen on Friday," the NWS states. Residents can expect a shift from hot, dry offshore breezes to cooler, more humid onshore winds, which should help mitigate fire risk for the weekend.
However, looking ahead to next week, models suggest a return to the pattern of high pressure and dry conditions that often bring Santa Ana winds to Southern California. The ensemble output, which has begun to show less variance in projections than before, raises concerns about another period of moderate to strong Santa Ana winds around Thursday of next week. With these predictions, the local communities and fire departments must stay vigilant and prepare for the cyclical battle against elements prone to igniting and spreading wildland fires.
