Vanessa’s Forecast: Santa Anas increases fire danger across the county

A moderate to intense Santa Ana wind event will blanket the county through early Friday, leading to critical fire danger, especially for the inland valleys and mountains.
A Red Flag Warning will be in effect for the inland valleys from 3 pm today until 7pm Thursday. Expect northeasterly winds of 20 to 30mph and gusts of 45 to 50. The Red Flag Warning for the mountains begins at 3 pm but lasts through 11 am Friday when we expect easterly winds of 20 to 30mph and gusts of 40-55. Isolated gusts may reach up to 60mph while humidity levels will plummet to 5 to 15% all across the county, even the coast.
While the coast and deserts won’t be in the Red Flag Warning, we will still see northeasterly gusts of 15 to 45mph and dry conditions.
The Santa Ana Wildfire Threat Index is forecasting a ‘Moderate’ event for San Diego on Wednesday and Thursday, which means fires will grow rapidly and be difficult to control upon ignition.
Vegetation will dry out even more with these Santa Ana winds, making it prime for a fire spark to lead to rapid fire growth. Now is the time to review your evacuation plan with your household and have your essential items ready. If you haven’t already, clear defensible space around your home, but avoid using electrical equipment, like chainsaws, that may spark a fire that could spread quickly in these dry conditions. Also, check your vehicle for anything dragging and could spark a fire as you drive.
Temperatures will be trending near to slightly above normal all week for the coast and valleys, while temperatures will drop 5 to 10 degrees below normal in the mountains and deserts today. It will gradually warm here by the weekend.
Offshore winds will continue through Saturday, with the sea breeze likely returning by Saturday night into Sunday. It’s essential to remain fire-safe as Santa Ana season continues through the winter, and until we see a decent storm, fire danger will remain elevated.