Press Release from National Weather Service posted 5/2/13 – Special Weather Statement for Los Angeles County, San Gabriel Valley, CA
Issued by The National Weather Service
Los Angeles, CA
5:08 am PDT, Wed., May. 1, 2013
… OFFSHORE WINDS WITH VERY WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS FOR INTERIOR SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA
TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY…
… ELEVATED FIRE DANGER FOR INTERIOR SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY…
A LATE SEASON OFFSHORE WIND EVENT WILL BRING MODERATE TO LOCALLY STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS
TO THE MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS OF VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY
EVENING. GUSTY WINDS MAY SPREAD INTO COASTAL AREAS BY TONIGHT AND PERSIST THROUGH THURSDAY.
WEAKER OFFSHORE FLOW IS EXPECTED BY FRIDAY.
THE OFFSHORE FLOW WILL BRING AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF VERY WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS TO MUCH OF THE AREA THROUGH FRIDAY. VALLEY HIGHS WILL SOAR INTO THE MID 90S BY THURSDAY AND TO NEAR 100 DEGREES ON FRIDAY… WITH RECORD BREAKING HIGH TEMPERATURES POSSIBLE. VERY WARM TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO AFFECT COASTAL AREAS… WITH HIGHS IN THE 80S TO LOWER 90S ON THURSDAY AND INTO THE MID 90S BY FRIDAY.
THE OFFSHORE WINDS WILL ALSO BRING A PROLONGED PERIOD OF VERY LOW HUMIDITIES TO INTERIOR SECTIONS. THE LOW HUMIDITIES… GUSTY OFFSHORE WINDS AND HOT TEMPERATURES WILL BRING RED FLAG WARNING CONDITIONS TO THE MOUNTAINS AND MOST VALLEY PORTIONS OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY. THE UNUSUALLY DRY FUELS FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR MAY CREATE EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR IF IGNITION OCCURS.
WHILE THE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO SUBSIDE ON FRIDAY… VERY WARM TEMPERATURES AND LOW HUMIDITIES WILL CONTINUE AND THE RED FLAG WARNINGS MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED INTO FRIDAY FOR PART OR ALL OF THE AREA CURRENTLY INCLUDED IN THE WARNING.
PLEASE STAY TUNED TO THE LATEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.