Moderate Santa Ana Wind Event For Southern California

By Brian Edwards, Meteorologist

January 12,2013; 9:35PM,EST

Southern California is bracing for a round of potentially damaging Santa Ana winds that will last from Sunday night into Tuesday.
Winds could peak as high as 50 mph in the populated wind-prone areas, while gusts to 60 mph or locally higher whip the mountaintops and their passes.
The highest wind gusts will get recorded Monday night into Tuesday.
Winds that strong could down trees, branches and power lines.
Falling trees and branches threaten to cause damage or bodily harm, while residents should prepare for possible power outages.
The winds will prove the most problematic for drivers of semi-trucks and campers, threatening to overturn or steer these high-profile vehicles off roads.
Even drivers of smaller trucks and cars will feel the winds tug on their vehicles.

Despite the impending gusty winds, Southern California will not be faced with an extreme fire danger.
Precipitation levels over the last month and a half are about average thanks to several storm systems which dropped through the state.
Gusty northeast winds will continue into the day on Wednesday before really diminishing Thursday into Friday.
The culprit behind these strong winds is a strong surface high pressure system which will drop southward through Utah and the Great Basin Sunday into early next week.
The combination of the surface high and good upper level support will lead to this moderate wind event for the wind-prone areas of Los Angeles, Ventura and San Diego counties.