Santa Ana Winds Spark Warming Trend in SoCal

Gusty Santa Ana winds swept through parts of Southern California over the weekend, ushering in a warming trend that forecasters expect to push temperatures well above seasonal averages through much of the week. The National Weather Service issued and extended wind advisories across San Diego, Los Angeles, Ventura and Orange counties, warning of potential hazards from the offshore breezes that began intensifying Saturday.

The winds, driven by a persistent ridge of high pressure, gusted up to 88 miles per hour in the Cuyamaca Mountains of San Diego County on Saturday, with additional peaks of 79 miles per hour at Big Black Mountain and 51 miles per hour near Mount Laguna Observatory on Sunday. In the San Diego County foothills, gusts reached 60 to 70 miles per hour Sunday morning, while valleys saw 30 to 45 miles per hour and coastal areas experienced 15 to 30 miles per hour. Similar conditions affected northern Los Angeles County and eastern Ventura County, with northeast winds of 25 to 35 miles per hour and gusts up to 50 miles per hour forecast through Monday afternoon. Advisories, originally set to expire Sunday, were extended until at least early Monday in affected regions,...