After a few days of persistent rain this week, Thanksgiving will usher in a period of clear and warm – but also windy – weather in Southern California.
“We see that temperatures are increasing by a few degrees every day; By the weekend, we’re looking at highs in the low to mid 70s,” said Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. It will be “a very beautiful Thanksgiving all weekend long.”
The transition to a relatively light wind event in Santa Ana brings a change in weather. Offshore winds tend to create warmer and drier conditions in Southland and generally lead to an increased threat of wildfires.
But Kittell said the winds arriving Thursday aren’t expected to be very strong and recent back-to-back rains from wet systems – although light – have helped ease those concerns. Less than an inch of rain fell in Southern California over the past week, although most areas saw less than half an inch.
“That’s enough to buy us a few days while the fire threat is pretty low,” Kittell said. “We have enough to slow things down a little.”
Wind gusts are expected to reach 20 to 30 mph across most of the region, but some wind-prone corridors, like the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys, could see higher gusts. He said the windy weather should only be considered by those hosting outdoor Thanksgiving gatherings.
But any wind can still increase fire concerns, he said, especially when humidity is low and the rainy season has just started.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Kittell said. “Any time there is wind, if a fire starts in the right place, a fire can develop. »
