Santa Ana winds, heat to raise wildfire threat across Southern California through Monday

By Brett Rathbun, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist

September 25,2016; 9:47PM,EDT

 

 

Hot, dry and windy weather into Monday night will lead to an increased risk of wildfires across Southern California.
"A high pressure system moving into the Intermountain West will cause Santa Ana winds to develop across Southern California," AccuWeather Meteorologist and firefighter Evan Duffey said.
Northeasterly winds will lead to hot and extremely dry weather along the southwest California coastline, including around Los Angeles and San Diego.
Monday will be another hot day with widespread highs in the 90s across the coastal plain of Southern California. Many valley communities will crack 100 F with downtown Los Angeles flirting with that mark.

While the hot and dry conditions alone will easily fuel blazes, the greatest threat for wildfires will be in the mountains, valleys and canyons that are typically buffeted by Santa Ana winds.
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"Winds will persist in the valleys and canyons that are orientated east to west in San Diego County on Monday afternoon," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said.
"Winds will gust between 50 and 60 mph in the mountains and 40-50 mph in the wind-prone valleys and canyons," Pydynowski said.

The gusty winds will easily spread new or existing wildfires, threatening to put residents and property in danger.
The danger prompted the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department to announce that it staffed extra engines this weekend.
Areas south of Los Angeles recently received rainfall from once-Hurricane Paine, but Duffey states that it was not enough to quell the fire danger.
San Diego saw its first measurable rainfall since the end of May this past week when 0.32 of an inch of rain fell.
"Primary ignition sources, such as vegetation, have dried out over the past 48 hours, so the fire danger is once again high as the winds kick up," Duffey said.