Strong winds to threaten southwestern US with blowing dust, localized damage

By Renee Duff, AccuWeather meteorologist

May 13,2017, 12:24:46PM,EDT

 

 

Gusty winds will buffet California and the Four Corners states through Sunday, potentially causing travel difficulties and power outages.
Several Pacific storms skirting past the region will make their presence known in the form of windy conditions.
“There will be a considerable amount of wind to the north-south prone wind passages, canyons and mountains along the I-5 corridor of California down into the San Fernando Valley,” according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Ken Clark.
Another area of windy conditions will develop farther inland across southern Nevada, north-central Arizona, Utah, western Colorado and southwestern Wyoming.
“Along the California coast, the wind will be from the ocean which will keep most areas from San Francisco to Los Angeles and San Diego in the 60s F,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.

Wind gusts between 40 and 60 mph will be common through these areas.
The winds will kick up dust over the deserts and cause drastically reduced visibility for travelers. Portions of interstates 10, 15, 40, 70 and 80 could be dangerous to travel across at times.
Crosswinds will add another layer of difficulty to driving conditions, especially for high-profile vehicles. Motorists will need a firm grip on the steering wheel to stay in the proper driving lanes.
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Damage can occur in some communities as the winds may break weak tree limbs, toss around loose outdoor items and peel away loose siding. Sporadic power outages are also possible.
While the winds will begin to slacken on Monday, a significant storm will plunge across the Western states from Monday night into Wednesday and bring a renewed threat for damaging winds.
The impending storm threatens to be one of the strongest and most far-reaching in recent months, bringing high winds, locally gusty thunderstorms, plunging temperatures and high-elevation snow from the West Coast to the Rockies.