Weather
Fire Danger Elevated to Extreme for Monrovia, San Gabriel Mountains
A fire weather watch will be in effect from Wednesday afternoon through Saturday afternoon in the San Gabriels and Angeles National Forest.
LOS ANGELES, CA -- With gusting winds and low humidity expected for the duration of the week, a red flag warning indicating a heightened risk of wildfire will be in effect beginning Wednesday afternoon for the Los Angeles County mountains and Antelope Valley.
According to the National Weather Service, the red flag warning will take effect at 3 p.m. Wednesday and remain in place until 3 p.m. Saturday. Forecasters said northerly winds will increase beginning Wednesday afternoon into Wednesday night.
"During this time, there will be rapid drying with single-digit humidities becoming common across the higher elevations," according to the NWS. "Thursday through Saturday, gusty Santa Ana winds will bring significant warming and drying to much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties."
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Forecasters said the strongest winds are likely to occur Thursday into Friday, with gusts between 35 and 45 mph possible across the mountains and valleys.
"Widespread single-digit humidities along with very poor humidity recoveries are expected across the warning area during this event. The combination of gusty offshore winds, warm temperatures, very low humidities and very dry fuels will likely being critical fire weather conditions," according to the NWS. "Any fire ignitions will bring the potential for rapid fire spread along with extreme fire behavior."
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A less serious fire weather watch will be in effect for the San Fernando Valley and Santa Monica Mountains from Wednesday night through Saturday afternoon. North to northeast winds of 15 to 25 mph are expected in those areas, with gusts of 30 to 40 mph possible late Wednesday night into Friday, then weakening on Saturday.
Meanwhile, temperatures across the area are expected to increase through Saturday. The NWS forecast highs of 79 in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday, increasing to 93 by Friday and Saturday. In Woodland Hills, temperatures will flirt with the triple digits, with the forecast calling for a high of 98 by Friday.
-- City News Service, photo credit: Renee Schiavone/Patch