Santa Ana Event: Heightened Fire Concerns

 FOR WEDNESDAY...EXPECT TEMPS TO WARM 3 TO 5 DEGREES IN MOST AREAS. 
  NORTHERLY WINDS WILL REDEVELOP ACROSS THE SANTA BARBARA COUNTY 
  MOUNTAINS...SBA SOUTH COAST AS WELL AS THE LA COUNTY MOUNTAINS 
  INCLUDING THE I-5 CORRIDOR...SANTA CLARITA AND SAN FERNANDO VALLEYS 
  AS WELL AS THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAIN RANGE. NORTHERLY GRADIENTS 
  STRENGTHEN SIGNIFICANTLY BY WED EVENING INTO THURSDAY MORNING. 
  LAX-BFL IS FORECAST TO BE UP TO -7.2MB. DURING THIS TIME...WE COULD 
  SEE WINDS RAMP UP TO ADVISORY LEVELS ACROSS THE I5 CORRIDOR IN THE 
  LOS ANGELES MOUNTAINS AND SANTA YNEZ RANGE...WITH GUSTS IN THE 40 TO 
  50 MPH RANGE. IN ADDITION...GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS ARE ALSO EXPECTED 
  TO EXPAND INTO THE SANTA CLARITA VALLEY...SAN FERNANDO VALLEY...AND 
  SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS...WHERE WIND ADVISORIES WITH GUSTS IN THE 30 
  TO 40 MPH RANGE WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE.  THIS NORTHERLY WIND 
  INFLUENCE WILL ALSO BRING A GOOD WARMING TREND...ESPECIALLY ACROSS 
  THE LOS ANGELES BASIN WHERE TEMPERATURES WILL CLIMB ABOVE 80 DEGREES 
  IN SOME LOCATIONS.
  
  ...FROM PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
  
  ON THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY...SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD 
  ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN...LIKELY BRINGING THE STRONGEST AND MOST 
  WIDESPREAD SANTA ANA EVENT OF THE SEASON. 12Z NAM SHOWING A RATHER 
  IMPRESSIVE LAX-DAGGETT GRADIENTS OF -8.2 MB FOR FRIDAY MORNING. IN 
  ADDITION...CROSS SECTIONS SHOWING A LAYER OF 30-40 KNOT WINDS FROM 
  THE SURFACE TO 850 MB LEVEL WITH A GOOD SURGE OF SUBSIDENCE. AS A 
  RESULT...THERE WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 60 
  MPH ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA 
  COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS. AS A RESULT...HIGH 
  WIND WATCHES HAVE BEEN POSTED FOR THESE AREAS. IN 
  ADDITION...WIDESPREAD WIND GUSTS IN THE 40 TO 50 MPH RANGE WILL BE 
  LIKELY FOR COASTAL AND VALLEY AREAS OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA 
  COUNTIES...WHERE WIND ADVISORIES WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED AS WE DRAW 
  CLOSER TO THE EVENT. OFFSHORE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO RAMP UP QUICKLY 
  THURSDAY EVENING ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS...PEAKING IN 
  STRENGTH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. THE GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS 
  WILL ALSO COINCIDE WITH LOW HUMIDITIES AND CRITICALLY DRY FUELS TO 
  BRING A SIGNIFICANT FIRE WEATHER CONCERN TO THE REGION. FIRE WEATHER 
  WATCHES HAVE ALREADY BEEN POSTED FROM THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY 
  EVENING FOR THE MUCH OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES.