Title: Weather and Wildfires: How Weather Conditions Fuel Blazes Affecting LA
Fierce wildfires pose a significant threat to Southern California, including Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Overnight, the National Weather Service issued an alarming warning about severe fire weather and strong damaging winds. Here's what we currently know about the meteorological factors driving these fires in Pacific Palisades, Eaton Canyon, and Sylmar.
What's Going On?
The National Weather Service's Oxnard office issued a warning on platform X around midnight, predicting damaging winds and extreme fire for most of Los Angeles and Ventura counties until Wednesday afternoon. The warning read, "The period of highest concern: Tonight - Wednesday afternoon. Widespread N/NE gusts of 50-80 mph, isolated mountaintop and foothill gusts between 80-100 mph, resulting in scattered downed trees and power outages."
A series of fires fueled by the Santa Ana winds are tearing through Southern California. Reports of the Palisades fire have made headlines, but the Hurst and Eaton fires have also been posing challenges to highly populated areas. With their massive size, these fires are easily visible from weather satellites and Doppler radars.
Los Angeles resident and scholar Lawrence Ross shared his thoughts on the situation on Facebook, stating, "Pacific Palisades is one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the world and is nestled between places like Brentwood (O.J. Simpson's former neighborhood) and Malibu."
As of now, NBC News reports that nearly 50,000 mandatory evacuations have been issued in the Los Angeles area, with that number expected to rise. Smoke advisories have been issued from Malibu to Beverly Hills, and fast-moving fires have prompted mandatory evacuations for at least 49,000 people. At the time of writing, the combined acreage burned by the Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst fires is nearing 5,000, with little containment.
What Are Santa Ana Winds?
Ross also provided a valuable lesson on the region's geography in his post. "Los Angeles is a desert next to the ocean and next to mountains," he wrote. This unique layout brings about various atmospheric challenges, including poor air quality and the presence of the marine layer. Additionally, it makes the region vulnerable to a local wind system known as the Santa Ana Winds.
Santa Ana Winds are a common occurrence in this region. Enrichment data reveals that they occur when there's high pressure over the dry desert regions of the southwestern U.S., such as the Great Basin or the Rocky Mountains, and a low-pressure system off the coast of Southern California. This pressure gradient causes air to flow westward, descending mountainous regions and compressing as it does so. This process, known as adiabatic warming, increases the temperature of the air and decreases its relative humidity.
With dry conditions and high winds, these Santa Ana winds can become extremely severe and contribute to the rapid spread of wildfires in Southern California. The National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings due to anticipated extreme dryness, warm temperatures, and strong winds, enhancing the fire risk.
Residents should be proactive and implement evacuation plans in affected areas.
The Palisades fire in Pacific Palisades, along with the Hurst and Eaton fires, are causing concern in Los Angeles and Ventura counties due to the severe wildfires. These fires are being fueled by the Santa Ana winds, which are common in the region and are driven by high pressure over dry desert regions and low pressure off the coast. The National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings due to the dry conditions, warm temperatures, and strong winds, making the region vulnerable to wildfires. Eaton Canyon, located in the Los Angeles area, is also affected by these wildfires.
