Powerful gusts of wind will be sweeping through the Southern California region, causing wind warnings and advisories to go into effect and creating potentially dangerous driving conditions.
The winds will be entering the Southland Friday and will stay around until Saturday. This weather will cause a high wind warning to go into effect at 3 p.m. on Friday and remain in place until 3 p.m. on Saturday in the Santa Monica Mountains, the Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys, and the Los Angeles County Mountains.
NBC4 forecaster Belen De Leon said that the winds will also be causing temperatures to be higher than normal for this time of year. Gusts of more than 70 mph are possible late Friday and into Saturday morning.
Santa Ana winds gust in Southern California
“The winds tonight and through tomorrow will be peaking,” De Leon said.
Less severe advisories will also be going into effect in the Los Angeles coastal region, including areas like downtown, and the San Gabriel Valley.
Forecasters say that the winds could be potentially damaging, causing unsecured objects to blow around and making it difficult to drive.
These conditions come after low- and high-pressure systems have positioned themselves over the West Coast.
“The winds around these two systems are going to be funneled through our area,” De Leon said.
Fear of how strong the winds could be has postponed a major project on the 91 Freeway in Corona due to powerful gusts. Travelers on other freeways like the Golden State (5) and Antelope Valley (14) have also been advised about the upcoming weather conditions, especially for high-profile vehicles.
Winds will return to closer to normal conditions by Sunday but the Weather Service says to watch out for tree limbs that might fall and potential power outages.
