Here Comes the Wind SJC: Windy Weather Story Across Orange County

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA — Friday's weather story was gale-force winds in Orange County as residents of Trabuco Canyon reported "freight train" sounding winds buffeting their homes. A fire weather watch is in place to the north due to strong Santa Ana winds in the area.

Residents of Laguna Beach, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Aliso Viejo and San Clemente can expect the brunt of the wind according to the forecast from the National Weather Service.

Gusts along California Route 241 are expected to exceed 80 miles per hour in the Fremont Canyon.

"It’s an unusually strong Santa Ana wind event for Orange County,” Meteorologist Stephen Harrison said. “Some areas that don’t usually see Santa Ana winds could see them because it going to be widespread and stronger than usual. That could result in downed trees branches, power lines and possibly some structural damage.”

A high wind warning will remain in effect for Orange County until 2 p.m. Saturday, the National Weather Service said.

The forecast for Orange County Friday was for sunny, windy weather and highs of 63 in Mission Viejo; 64 in Yorba Linda; 65 in San Clemente; and 66 in Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Fullerton, and Irvine.

Temperatures will climb into the low 70s in several Orange County communities Saturday and, on Sunday, climb a few more degrees in some communities and decline a few degrees in others.

Conditions conducive to the outbreaks of wildfires prevailed over much of the Southland Friday -- including in mountain, forest, valley and urban areas -- because of strong Santa Ana winds and very low humidity.

A red flag warning denoting fire-weather conditions will be in force from noon Friday until 6 p.m. Saturday in the Santa Monica Mountains, inland Orange County, the San Fernando, Santa Clarita, and eastern San Gabriel valleys, and the L.A County coastal zone, which includes beach cities, metropolitan Los Angeles and the Hollywood Hills.

The same fire weather watch -- one notch less severe than a red flag warning -- will be in force in the San Gabriel Mountains and the Angeles National Forest from Saturday morning through Saturday afternoon. The mountains and forest are being spared a red flag warning for now because the humidity level will be a little higher than where the red flag warning has been issued.

The wind in the red flag areas will blow at between 15 and 40 miles per hour, with gusts of more than 60 mph amid humidity levels of between 8 and 15 percent, according to the National weather Service. The San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest will also be buffeted by high winds -- 25-45 mph, with 70-mph gusts -- but the humidity level will be slightly higher, reaching 20 percent, forecasters said.

Also in effect in several areas were high wind warnings, which indicate sustained winds or gusts of 58 mph and are more serious than wind advisories, which denote 35-mph winds.

Sunny skies were forecast in L.A. County Friday, along with highs of 49 in Palmdale; 50 in Lancaster; 51 on Mount Wilson; 57 in Saugus; 61 in San Gabriel; 62 in Burbank; 63 in Pasadena; and 64 in downtown L.A., Avalon, Woodland Hills and at LAX. Saturday's L.A. County temperatures will be up to 7 degrees higher in some communities and climb a few more degrees -- up to 6 degrees in Woodland Hills -- on Sunday before retreating Monday.

Pixabay Image, With City News Service