Global Courant
Wind gusts, combined with a drop in humidity, have increased the risk of fire in inland valleys and desert areas of Southern California until at least Tuesday, according to a weather forecast for Sunday’s fires.
The Antelope Valley, in particular, is at greater risk of grass fires, officials said. Southwesterly winds are expected to reach 40 mph in Palmdale and Lancaster, and up to 50 mph along the foothills.
However, the same onshore winds that alert mountain communities will also lead to cooler temperatures along the coast — as well as a heavier marine layer, better known at this time of year as June gloom. In fact, Los Angeles and much of Southern California will continue to experience humid, drizzly weather this week.
“There’s a low-pressure system moving all over the West Coast, and when we get these upper-level low-pressure systems, that creates a stronger onshore flow from the coast to the desert,” said David Gomberg, a meteorologist and firefighter. weather program manager for the National Weather Service. “That strong onshore current and low pressure system together help to deepen the marine layer and then amplify the wind in the desert.”
The drier air is expected to spread to all interior areas on Tuesday, Gomberg said, with humidity readings as low as 8% to 15% in the Antelope Valley and mountain regions.
Strong winds are also expected to develop in the western parts of the Santa Ynez Mountains and southern Santa Barbara late Sunday, with gusts reaching 35 to 45 mph late Monday night into Tuesday.
Temperatures in the Palmdale area are expected to reach a high of 79 degrees on Monday and 82 degrees on Tuesday. Temperatures along the coast will remain mild this week at around 25 degrees.
