Mountain Winds Top Hurricane Force As Santa Anas Move In
Offshore winds pushed into the Los Angeles basin today, gusting above hurricane force at one mountaintop and threatening to squeeze temperatures into the 80s Sunday.
A wind gauge at Whitaker Peak, just west of the Golden State (5) Freeway near Castaic Lake, hit 78 miles per hour this morning, the National Weather Service said.
Other blasts included 54 miles per hour in the hills above Zuma Beach, 48 mph in Newhall Pass, 44 mph at Saugus and 52 mph at Chilao, near Mount Wilson.
The strong Santa Ana winds will cause “compressional heating” and could cook up some high termperatures Sunday, which could set some records for the date or be “dang close,” National Weather Service forecaster Jamie Meier said.
The record high for Dec. 12 in downtown Los Angeles is 86 degrees set in 1895, and NWS forecasters are predicting a high of 82 degrees, Meier said.
Today’s weather also saw a dose of very-dense morning fog, with visibility down 100 feet in pockets along the coast. Today’s highs were predicted to be mostly in the 70s.
Less-wind-prone spots will see sustained winds out of the north at 15-25 mph, with stronger gusts possible, especially below canyons and passes.
Because the of the offshore breeze, temperatures will be fairly even across the Los Angeles Basin this weekend, and more highs in the 80s are forecast for Monday. A cooling trend should start Tuesday.
In the mountains and high desert, as well as the Santa Clarita Valley, a wind advisory will be in effect until 6 p.m. today. Gusts up to 55 mph or more are possible in some passes in the San Gabriel Mountains.
