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The red flag restrictions that limit parking on many streets in the hills and canyons kick in at 8 a.m. Thursday. I'm kind of surprised they are not in force tonight, given the wind gusts blasting the area. The National Weather Service has also proclaimed its version of a red flag warning for parts of Southern California. So what caused these winds to go a little crazy all of a sudden? And how long will they last? Here's the NWS explaining it in weather-speak:
A COLD LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE OVER ARIZONA AND GENERATE STRONG NORTHEAST SANTA ANA WINDS OVER MOST OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES THIS EVENING THROUGH MOST OF FRIDAY. PEAK SUSTAINED WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO EXCEED 40 MPH...ESPECIALLY ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE VALLEYS AND MOUNTAINS...WITH PEAK WIND GUSTS LIKELY EXCEEDING 60 MPH. THESE WINDS WILL ALSO HELP TO MAINTAIN LOW HUMIDITY READINGS...ESPECIALLY OVER THE COASTS AND VALLEYS. ALTHOUGH THESE WINDS SHOULD WEAKEN BY FRIDAY EVENING...THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR ADDITIONAL ROUNDS OF GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS OVER THE WEEKEND.
Dry gusty winds, plunging humidity, falling trees and power lines, exploding transformers—yeah, the threat of wildfire is a lot higher than it was yesterday. That's why they clear the canyon streets of parked cars.
Noted: LAFD spokesman Brian Humphrey just tweeted a fair piece of media criticism: "OMG!! Did we just hear reporter Leslie Miller @ABC7 suggest viewers have *candles* ready in case of a power outage? YIPES!!! *sigh* ^BH"
Also this from the LAFD: "Los Angeles Firefighters are presently on the scene of 97 separate emergency incidents across our 471 sq mile jurisdiction. #LAwind"
LA Observed photo: Station Fire burn area, Angeles National Forest