Santa Ana conditions were expected Tuesday with humidity in single digits and winds in the 20 to 30 mph range.
The conditions prompted a fire weather warning through 8 p.m. for San Diego County’s valleys, mountains and all of Orange County, from the National Weather Service
A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly.
Peak gusts measured as of 4:00 p.m. Monday occurred in Valley Center (68 mph), near Fallbrook (51 mph) and near Cuyamaca Peak west of State Route 79 (45 mph). Boulevard, Palomar Mountain lookout and Campo had 40 to 42 mph gusts. Carlsbad and Oceanside airport reported 33 mph and 32 mph peak gusts respectively.
"Winds diminish later today and turn onshore along the coast in the afternoon," said NBC 7 Meteorologist Sheena Parveen.
She added there may be a slight chance for a shower will exist mainly for the desert and mountains for this weekend.
Conditions are considered Santa Ana when temperatures are higher west of the mountains than east of the mountains in the desert communities. The combination of high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds creates dangerous fire conditions.
Local
SDG&E turned off the power to roughly 360 customers in the Cleveland National Forest area for public safety Monday. The utility said around 8:45 p.m. that power was restored.
Cal Fire has increased staff across the state as a precaution
Cal Fire advises residents to exercise extreme caution when in or near open areas to prevent sparking a fire.
- Don’t mow or trim dry grass on windy days
- Never pull your vehicle over in dry grass
- Target shoot only in approved areas, use lead ammunition only, and never at metal
- Ensure campfires are allowed, and if so, be sure to extinguish them completely
- Report any suspicious activities to prevent arson
For more fire prevention tips and evacuation steps visit this website.
Stay up to date on changing weather conditions by downloading the free NBC 7 mobile app and selecting weather as your home screen.
