WARM CONDITIONS, GUSTY WINDS IN HOLIDAY FORECAST
It’s a good idea to keep the cooking indoors on Thanksgiving, because dry conditions with gusty winds are expected to heighten the risk of wildfires during the holiday, meteorologists said Monday.
A fire weather watch is likely to begin Wednesday morning and last through Friday evening for most parts of the Inland Empire and
Los Angeles and Orange counties, according to the National Weather Service. Persistent Santa Ana winds are expected to keep the warm temperatures hanging around at least until the weekend.
“It’s shaping up to be another interesting Thanksgiving in Southern California,” said Adam Roser, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
The peak of gusty winds for Orange County and the Inland Empire is expected to come Wednesday, which Roser said could affect holiday travel plans. Gusts could reach up to 50 mph in the valleys and up to 60 mph in the mountains, he said.
Roser also cautioned people against outdoor burning and urged people to try to keep most cooking indoors as a fire precaution.
The warm temperatures felt around the region last weekend are expected to cool down slightly today, but pick up again on Thursday, said David Sweet, another meteorologist with the National Weather Service. A red flag warning that was in place for some areas over the weekend ended Monday afternoon.
Most parts of Southern California are expected to reach highs in the mid-70s to lower 80s on Thanksgiving Day, meteorologists said. Projected highs for Thursday include 75 degrees in San Bernardino, 74 degrees in Hemet and 81 degrees in Los Angeles and Anaheim. Temperatures are expected to stay warm Friday but dip slightly over the weekend, meteorologists said.