A Fire Weather Watch was issued for L.A. mountains on New Year’s Day
Meteorologists expect cold temperatures and wind gusts as strong as 75 mph in portions of Southern California on New Year’s Eve, Monday, Dec. 31.
The strongest gusts should be isolated to the foothills and mountains of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties, forecasters said on Sunday.
Valleys and coasts in Los Angeles and Ventura counties on Monday can expect average wind speeds to range from 15 to 40 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Winds along the coast in Orange County on Monday are predicted to increase from 5-10 mph in the morning to 15-30 mph by evening, depending on the location.
In the Riverside area, Monday morning winds of 5-10 mph could increase to 10-20 mph at night, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Temperatures should peak in the high 50s in most of Southern California, then fall to the mid 30s and 40s by nightfall.
Los Angeles and Ventura counties should remain dry, but there will be a chance for light precipitation in other parts of Southern California before 10 a.m., according to NWS predictions.
Rain and snow will be more likely to fall in and near San Diego County. There, the temperatures are expected to sink below freezing in the mountains and the snow line may drop to altitudes as low as 4,000 feet by sunset. Forecasters have advised motorists driving through these areas to be prepared for icy roads.
Elsewhere, moderate to strong Santa Ana winds should blow away most cloud cover by nightfall, and conditions should remain clear, cool and breezy going into Tuesday morning.
The U.S. Coast Guard on Sunday advised mariners to prepare for the high winds and heavy sea conditions, which can bring seas up to 9 feet in the Los Angeles area.
Also, Southern California Edison said Sunday it’s notifying customers of possible preemptive wind-related power shutoffs in high-risk areas.
SCE said some 75,000 customers were being notified in some unincorporated areas of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties as well as in the cities of Corona, Covina, Culver City, Fontana, Glendora, Industry, Irvine, Norco, Orange, Rancho Cucamonga, Rialto, San Dimas, San Fernando, Santa Clarita, Upland, Villa Park, Walnut and West Covina.
Looking to New Year’s Day’s forecast winds, a Fire Weather Watch was issued for the Los Angeles County mountains from 10 a.m. Tuesday to 8 a.m. Wednesday.
