Gusty Winds Put Fire Officials on High Alert

Dry Santa Ana winds gusting at up to 60 mph raked the canyons and valleys of Southern California on Tuesday, scattering trash, downing small tree limbs and prompting a “red flag” fire alert.

The National Weather Service said the winds should abate somewhat today but resume again Thursday, with dry, breezy weather continuing, off and on, through the weekend and into early next week.

No major wind damage was reported Tuesday, but fire officials warned that stiff breezes could whip any small brush fire into a major conflagration.

The Los Angeles Fire Department urged residents of foothill and brushland neighborhoods to use extreme caution with any equipment that makes sparks, such as power tools.

Tuesday’s winds were generated by a large dome of high pressure over northeastern Nevada and a trough of low pressure off the coast of Baja California, forecasters said.

They said air circulating clockwise around the high-pressure zone was speeding south to circle counterclockwise around the low-pressure area. The air was drying out by compression as it swept down mountain canyons and across coastal valleys to the sea.

Temperatures during the next week should be close to normal for this time of year in the Los Angeles Basin, with daytime readings in the upper 60s and low 70s, followed by overnight readings from the upper 30s to the low 50s.

Although modest low-pressure weather systems could cause brief breaks in the offshore winds, no rain is in sight for a week or more, said a weather service specialist, Stuart Seto.

That’s a bit unusual for February, which is usually the area’s wettest month.

Total rainfall in downtown Los Angeles since the 2003-04 weather season began July 1 is just 3.89 inches, less than half the normal total for the date of more than 8 inches.