Strong Santa Ana Still Creating Fire Weather in Marina Del Rey

LOS ANGELES, CA -- The threat of wildfire hung over much of the Southland for a second straight day Friday because of strong Santa Ana winds and humidity levels in the single digits.

A red flag warning is scheduled to be in force until 6 p.m. in the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, the Angeles and Los Padres national forests, the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys, the Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area and the L.A. County coastal zone, which comprises beach cities, metropolitan Los Angeles, downtown L.A and the Hollywood Hills.

Friday's winds was slightly weaker than Thursday's, the NWS said, with north-to-northeast winds of between 20 and 30 miles per hour gusting to 45 mph in the San Gabriels, the forests and the Santa Clarita Valley; 15 to 25 mph with 35 mph gusts in the Santa Monicas; and 10 to 20 mph with 30 mph gusts in the San Fernando Valley and the coastal zone.

"If fire ignition occurs, conditions are favorable for extreme fire behavior," according to an NWS statement.

The NWS forecast sunny skies in L.A. County Friday and highs of 65 in Palmdale and Lancaster; 69 on Mount Wilson; 72 in Avalon; 74 at LAX and in Saugus; 77 in Long Beach and downtown L.A.; 76 in Burbank; 77 in San Gabriel; 78 in Pasadena; and 80 in Woodland Hills. Saturday's temperatures will fall a few degrees in most L.A. County locations but rise slightly in the Antelope Valley. Sunday's and Monday's L.A. County forecast calls for rain and highs in the high 60s and low 70s.

Sunny conditions were also forecast in Orange County Friday, along with highs of 71 in Newport Beach and Laguna Beach; 72 in San Clemente; 75 in Irvine and Mission Viejo; 76 in Anaheim; and 77 in Fullerton and Yorba Linda. Weekend temperatures will be roughly the same. Monday's forecast calls for showers.

-- City News Service