‘Life-threatening’ windstorm prompts red flag warning across Southern California

Los Angeles: A “Particularly Dangerous Situation” red flag fire warning is in effect for Southern California over the next couple of days. This means that critical fire weather conditions are either happening now or are about to kick in.

This storm is no joke; it could bring some of the strongest winds we’ve seen in over a decade. We’re talking about widespread outages and a real risk of fires spreading quickly.

The warning covers Los Angeles County and much of Ventura County, so folks in those areas need to stay alert. The National Weather Service (NWS) is sounding the alarm, saying, “Strong winds are coming.”

They’re urging everyone to be aware of their surroundings and be ready to evacuate if you’re in a high-risk area. It’s also a good idea to be cautious with anything that could spark a fire.

Tomorrow through Thursday, expect dangerous fire-weather conditions. The Santa Ana winds combined with low humidity could really ramp up the fire risk. For more details, check your local NWS office.

The strongest winds are expected Tuesday afternoon into early Wednesday. Gusts could hit between 80 to 125+ km/h, especially in the San Gabriel and Santa Susana mountains.

In fact, the NWS warns that this could be the most destructive windstorm since 2011, which caused a lot of damage in Pasadena and the surrounding areas.

With these strong winds, we might see downed trees and power lines, leading to widespread outages. The combination of strong winds, low humidity, and dry vegetation creates a perfect storm for wildfires if something ignites.

Usually, Santa Ana winds stay in the mountains and valleys, but this time they could be strong enough to affect all areas. Conditions should improve by Thursday and Friday, but we might see offshore winds again over the weekend.