Headline:
Red Flag Warning issued December 9 at 1:40PM PST until December 10 at 2:00PM PST by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Event:
Red Flag Warning
Urgency:
Expected
Effective:
December 9, 2024 - 1:40pm
Expires:
December 10, 2024 - 12:00pm
Description:
...PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION (PDS) RED FLAG WARNING IN
EFFECT FROM 8 PM TONIGHT UNTIL 2 PM TUESDAY DUE TO DAMAGING
SANTA ANA WINDS AND VERY LOW HUMIDITIES FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS:
SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS/ SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS/ SANTA CLARITA
VALLEY/ CALABASAS/ VENTURA COUNTY COASTS AND VALLEYS/ WESTERN SAN
FERNANDO VALLEY -- AND RED FLAG WARNINGS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OTHER
TIMES UNTIL 6 PM WEDNESDAY IN THESE SAME AREAS...
...PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION (PDS) RED FLAG WARNING IN
EFFECT FROM 8 PM TONIGHT UNTIL 10 AM WEDNESDAY DUE TO DAMAGING
SANTA ANA WINDS AND VERY LOW HUMIDITIES FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS:
SANTA SUSANA MOUNTAINS-- AND RED FLAG WARNINGS IN EFFECT FOR ALL
OTHER TIMES UNTIL 6 PM WEDNESDAY IN THIS SAME AREA...
...PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION (PDS) RED FLAG WARNING IN
EFFECT FROM 8 PM TONIGHT UNTIL 2 PM TUESDAY DUE TO DAMAGING
SANTA ANA WINDS AND VERY LOW HUMIDITIES FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS:
VENTURA COASTAL PLAIN (ESPECIALLY FOOTHILLS)/ MALIBU COAST -- AND
RED FLAG WARNINGS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OTHER TIMES FROM 2 PM MONDAY
UNTIL 2 PM WEDNESDAY IN THESE SAME AREAS...
...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM WEDNESDAY FOR VENTURA
MOUNTAINS, I5 CORRIDOR, EASTERN SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, AND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY
DUE TO GUSTY SANTA ANA WINDS AND VERY LOW HUMIDITIES...
...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM TONIGHT UNTIL 10 PM
TUESDAY FOR THE SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY MOUNTAINS DUE TO GUSTY
EAST TO SOUTHEAST WINDS AND VERY LOW HUMIDITIES...
...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM TONIGHT UNTIL 2 PM
TUESDAY FOR THE CHANNEL ISLANDS AND PALOS VERDES DUE TO GUSTY
SANTA ANA WINDS AND VERY LOW HUMIDITIES...
***THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION (PDS) FOR MANY
AREAS OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES ***
A strong, widespread, and long duration Santa Ana event will
bring widespread critical to extremely critical fire weather
conditions to many areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties
through Wednesday. This will be a PARTICULAR DANGEROUS
SITUATION (PDS) Red Flag Warning event in many areas, with the
combination of a strong offshore pressure gradient (LAX-Daggett
peaking at -8 to -9 mb), strong cold air advection, and moderate
upper level wind support.
As surface high pressure builds into the Great Basin, Santa Ana
winds are expected to increase through the afternoon,
then peak tonight into Tuesday. A marine layer cloud presence
this morning may delay the onset of offshore winds across
portions of the coast and coastal valleys by a few hours from
what was expected yesterday. Offshore winds are expected to
diminish some by Wednesday, but very dir will persist. With the
strong likelihood of widespread single digit humidities with this
event, there is high confidence for a long duration Red Flag
event. In addition, there is high confidence of PDS Red Flag
Warning conditions late this evening through Tuesday, as
damaging wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph will likely overlap with
single digit humidities across many of the windier mountain and
foothill areas, and with gusts of 40 to 65 mph across most wind
prone coastal and valley areas of Los Angeles and Ventura
counties. With the threat of damaging wind gusts in these windier
corridors, there will be an increased risk for downed trees and
powerlines, along with power outages. The hardest hit areas will
likely be the San Gabriels, Santa Susanas, western Santa Monicas
into Malibu, Ventura county valleys (especially Simi Valley and
Moorpark), western San Fernando Valley (especially Highway
118/210 corridors from Porter Ranch to San Fernando), and the
hills above Camarillo into east Ventura. Due to the expected long
duration of dangerous fire weather conditions and critically dry
fuels, there is an increased risk for any new ignitions to
have very rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior (including
long range spotting). As a result, there is the increasing threat
for fire weather conditions to rival other historical fires in
recent times including the Mountain and Thomas Fires. Dry
offshore conditions will likely persist into Thursday morning, with
a return of onshore flow and some humidity recovery in the afternoon.
* WINDS...Santa Ana winds expected to increase sharply this
evening and persist through early Tuesday afternoon. During
the peak of the event, wind speeds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts
of 45 to 60 mph can be expected, with the strongest winds
focused across higher terrain.
* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...Humidities are expected to lower to around
15 percent in many areas by this evening, with widespread
humidities of 5 to 10 percent likely by Tuesday.
* IMPACTS...If fire ignition occurs, conditions are favorable
for large fires with very rapid fire spread, extreme fire
behavior, and long range spotting, which would threaten life
and property. There is also the risk of locally damaging winds.
Instruction:
A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are either occurring now, or will shortly. Use extreme caution
with anything that can spark a wildfire. Residents near wildland
interfaces should be prepared to evacuate if a wildfire breaks
out. See readyforwildfire.org and wildfirerisk.org for
information.
Area Description:
San Miguel and Santa Rosa Islands; Santa Cruz and Anacapa Islands
Forcast Office:
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA