LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Strong winds will blow across the San Gabriel Mountains today amid a warming trend that will send highs to the 90s later this week, forecasters said.
“We'll be flirting with record highs,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Kristen Stewart early this morning, attributing the heat to a ridge of high pressure above the region and predicting the winds will turn into Santa Anas Friday and Saturday.
A wind advisory issued by the NWS will be in effect in the San Gabriel Mountains until 9 tonight, followed by a more serious high wind watch from this evening through Thursday afternoon.
While the wind advisory is in force, the mountains will be swept by north winds of 20-30 miles per hour punctuated by 50-mph gusts and occasionally gusts of 60 mph, the NWS said. When the high wind watch takes effect, we can expect winds of 25-40 mph with 65-mph gusts.
The strongest winds are expected through the Interstate 5 Corridor, according to an NWS statement. “Damaging winds could blow down large objects such as trees and power lines. Power outages are possible. Travel could be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles.”
The NWS warned that roadways that may be affected by gusty crosswinds include Highway 33 in Ventura County as well as Interstate 5 and Highway 14 -- the Antelope Valley Freeway -- in Los Angeles County.
Offshore, a small craft advisory indicating inexperienced sailors with small vessels should stay on shore will be in effect until 3 p.m. today in some segments of the Southland's littoral waters, followed in some areas by a gale warning scheduled to expire at 3 a.m. Friday.
The NWS forecast sunny skies today and highs of 70 degrees on Mount Wilson; 73 in Avalon; 76 at LAX; 80 in Long Beach; 81 in Palmdale and Lancaster; 82 in Downtown L.a.; 83 in Saugus; 84 in Burbank; 86 in Pasadena and San Gabriel; and 88 in Woodland Hills. Temperatures will rise to the 90s Thursday, when Downtown L.A. and San Gabriel will have highs of 90 degrees and Pasadena climbs to 91. More cities will have highs in the 90s this week before the region largely settles in the mid to high 80s Sunday Monday and Tuesday.
Sunny skies were also forecast in Orange County, along with highs of 66 degrees on Santiago Peak; 72 in Newport Beach, Laguna Beach and San Clemente; 77 on Ortega Highway at 2,600 feet; 80 at Fremont Canyon; 82 at Trabuco Canyon; 83 at Mission Viejo and Irvine; 85 in Fullerton and Yorba Linda; and 86 in Anaheim. Yorba Linda, Fullerton, Mission Viejo, Anaheim and Trabuco Canyon will reach the 90s Friday before the county reverts to the 70s and 80s Sunday Monday and Tuesday.
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