Strong winds expected across Southern California, high wind warning issued for LA County

Gusty winds were expected across Southern California beginning Wednesday afternoon, March 4 and continuing through Friday, with additional offshore winds possible heading into the weekend, the National Weather Service said.

Los Angeles County is expected to see the strongest winds first, with a high wind warning in effect from 9 p.m. Wednesday through 9 a.m. Thursday, according to NWS. Northwest winds of 25 to 40 mph with gusts up to 65 mph are possible in the Eastern and Western San Gabriel Mountains and along the Highway 14 corridor, the agency said.

The winds could blow around unsecured objects, bring down tree limbs and cause isolated power outages, NWS said. Localized gusts could reach up to 60 mph in parts of the Santa Susana Mountains.

Looking ahead, the next round of winds could be more powerful.

“The next event on Saturday has the potential to be stronger with 60 to 75 mph winds in the mountains and foothills,” National Weather Service meteorologist Carol Ciliberti said.

In Orange County, winds are expected to strengthen Wednesday before shifting direction overnight, according to NWS meteorologist Paul Steward.

“We expect a gradual increase through Wednesday afternoon and evening, but winds could increase a bit more near the coast,” Steward said.

Coastal areas could see winds around 10 to 15 mph Wednesday afternoon, increasing to up to 20 mph as winds turn northerly into Thursday. Inland areas are expected to be breezier, with gusts reaching 25 to 30 mph, while the Santa Ana Mountains could see gusts up to 45 mph, possibly near 50 mph at the peaks, Steward said.

Across Riverside and San Bernardino counties, northern winds are expected to strengthen Thursday and Friday as offshore flow develops, according to NWS. Inland valleys and foothill communities could see 20 to 25 mph winds with gusts up to about 40 mph, with patchy blowing dust possible in parts of Riverside County.

Temperatures across coastal and valley areas are expected to remain mild through Friday, generally reaching the low to mid-70s, though mountain and desert areas could cool somewhat.

Looking ahead to the weekend, offshore winds are expected to continue across Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties and could strengthen again Saturday as pressure differences across the region increase, NWS said. There is also a slight chance of light precipitation from late Saturday night through Monday, mainly across mountain and desert areas, according to preliminary data.