Shifting Santa Ana winds threaten San Diego County with strong gusts and low humidity, raising wildfire concerns.
Santa Ana winds have sporadically whipped isolated areas of eastern San Diego County the past couple of days — but they haven’t triggered the sort of hellacious wildfires burning in greater Los Angeles.Forecasters say the main reason involves wind direction. Broadly speaking, the mountain passes and canyons flanking Los Angeles are oriented north to south.
The Santa Anas have been arriving from the north and have had a broad and largely unimpeded path to the coast — a path that cuts through heavily populated areas where there are many potential sources of ignition.San Diego County’s mountain passes and canyons are mostly oriented east to west. To a significant degree, that has prevented this week’s Santa Anas from broadly and forcefully spreading across the county and racing all the way to the sea. That doesn’t mean a wildfire wasn’t possible; something as minor as the heat from a car muffler can spark a blaze where vegetation is dry. But it’s less likely. The situation will be different Thursday night and early Friday. The National Weather Service says the Santa Anas are shifting direction and will soon arrive from the east. They won’t hit the coast hard. But they could blow 40 mph to 70 mph in areas east of Interstate 15 — a region that is home to more than 600,000 people. And the relative humidity will be much lower than it was earlier in the week. “The humidity could drop into the single digits,” said Adam Roser, a weather service forecaster. “And the winds we’ve gotten this week have been further drying out the landscape.”This stirs concern among forecasters and first responders. So does the fact that there’s no significant rain in the 10-day forecast. San Diego has only received 0.16 inches of precipitation since July 1 — barely enough to cover the bottom of a drinking glass.
Santa Ana Winds Wildfire Risk San Diego County Weather Forecast Humidity
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
San Diego's Weather Forecast for December 10, 2024: Santa Ana winds continue WednesdayMegan Parry joined the ABC 10News team in 2014 as an esteemed meteorologist with a passion for delivering accurate weather forecasts and engaging with her community.
Read more »
Santa Ana winds diminish but fire threat keeps 30,000 in San Diego without powerDespite relief from Santa Ana winds, humidity levels were below 10%, elevating wildfire danger. More than 46,500 SDG&E customers remain power.
Read more »
San Diego's Weather Forecast for December 16, 2024: Santa Ana winds return this weekMegan Parry joined the ABC 10News team in 2014 as an esteemed meteorologist with a passion for delivering accurate weather forecasts and engaging with her community.
Read more »
Santa Ana Winds Bring Fire Danger to San Diego as Year EndsWarming temperatures and Santa Ana winds are expected to create fire danger in San Diego County as the year comes to a close. Fire officials warn of the increased risk of wildfires due to dry conditions and strong winds.
Read more »
SDG&E to Consider Power Outages as Strong Santa Ana Winds Approach San DiegoSan Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is planning potential power outages throughout San Diego County in response to strong Santa Ana winds expected from Tuesday to Thursday. The utility aims to minimize wildfire risk during this period.
Read more »
10News Wake Up Call: Santa Ana winds fuel fires in LA, San Diego on high alertPat Mueller joined the ABC 10News team as a Digital Content Producer in Aug. 2022.
Read more »