Santa Ana Winds Bring Heat and Wildfire Risk Back to Southern California

Although the primary weather headline this weekend across Southern California will be the unseasonable heat, forecasters are warning that the Santa Ana winds will be something to contend with as well. Here is a look at this upcoming wind event and the accompanying wildfire threat.

Heat and Santa Anas Will Amplify Wildfire Threat Through the Weekend in Southern California

The Santa Ana winds are expected to whip up again across Southern California, amplifying the risk of wildfires as the temperatures surge to levels not typically seen in the middle of October. While this degree of heat is unusual for this late in the fall season, the arrival of the Santa Ana winds is right on time.

These dry and gusty winds travel down the mountains toward the coast, causing the most damage in the canyons. The highest winds tend to fire up in the passes and canyons that are aligned from southwest to northeast. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), Santa Ana wind season runs from September through May, with peak activity happening in December and January.

You do not need a degree in meteorology to understand that the high winds paired with the rising temperatures and low humidity levels will naturally increase the threat of wildfire ignition and spread. This threat will be the greatest in the parts of California that did not get in on the surge of moisture from the remnants of Rachel last weekend, including much of northwestern Los Angeles.

The gusty and toasty weather pattern is the result of an area of high pressure that is building over a zone from Northern California and to the south. To the east, the high pressure is extending well into Nevada and Utah. A storm that is circulating high in the atmosphere south of this high pressure will trigger the dry northeasterly winds roaring across Southern California.