Rain to be followed by high winds
The weekend’s rainy weather quickly gave way to windy conditions, ripe for wildfires starting late Sunday night, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a Red Flag warning for parts of Southern California. The warning will affect mountains and foothills below 6,000 feet and inland valleys, but the conditions could cause fires to spread fast anywhere.
By late Sunday, Santa Ana winds of 20-40 mph — with isolated gusts up to 70 mph possible in some areas — moved into the Inland Empire and much of the rest of the region. Desert slopes saw gusts upward of 45 mph stretching down toward the Salton Sea. Humidity dropped rapidly to 5-10 percent on Monday as well.
The Coachella Valley is currently under a wind advisory until 8 p.m. Monday night. Winds look to reach peak speeds near this time and then gradually die down heading into Tuesday. Farther east, a bowing dust advisory was issued until 6 p.m.
Winds could down trees, and drivers are reminded to take extra caution on the road, especially near high profile vehicles, like semi-trucks. Residents should also secure loose items around the home.
Areas to the west of the desert are under a high wind warning until 3 p.m. Monday afternoon. This is where the highest threat is for potential fires to spread.
Moisture from weekend storms alleviates the fire threat, but fuels will dry quickly on Monday, NWS forecasters said.
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