Santa Anas To Batter Monrovia

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Southland region is in for another two days of strong Santa Ana winds, the National Weather Service warned Tuesday.

Intense winds are expected to slam the region until Thursday with a brief respite Saturday before another Santa Ana wind storm hits. The Santa Anas had been battering throughout the unusually dry January month, and the trend looks to continue in February. Temperatures in Los Angeles are expected to linger in the mid to upper 60s through the rest of the week, according to the National Weather Service

Northeast wind of 35 to 45 mph, with gusts up to 60 mph were expected to hit the L.A. mountains, starting at 10 p.m. Tuesday lasting through Thursday. Less-severe high wind advisories were in place from 10 p.m. Tuesday through noon Thursday for the San Fernando, San Gabriel and Santa Clarita valleys, the Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area, the L.A. County coast and downtown L.A.

Winds of 15 to 25 mph, gusting to between 40 and 45, were in the forecast for those areas.

The National Weather Service on Tuesday issued a high wind warning for the affected areas of the L.A. mountains, starting at 10 p.m. Tuesday through noon Thursday.

"People should avoid being outside in forested areas and around trees and branches," according to the weather service. "If possible, remain in the lower levels of your home during the windstorm, and avoid windows. Use caution if you must drive."

According to the weather service, weaker winds could linger into Friday, followed by a brief break Saturday before another Santa Ana pattern develops for Sunday and Monday.

The wind alerts brought with them warnings that unsecured objects could be blown around, tree limbs could topple and some power outages may result.

In addition, travel could be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles, the NWS said. Major roadways that could be particularly impacted include Interstate 5 and Highway 14.

City News Service