Weekend of high winds, high heat in Southern California

Truckers will have to deal with windy, hot weather if they’re heading to the busy freight hubs in Southern California.

A moderate Santa Ana wind event will develop over much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties beginning Friday morning and continuing into Saturday evening. Peak northeasterly wind gusts will range from 30 to 45 mph, but could reach 55 mph in some spots. The National Weather Service expects the peak winds to occur in the morning and early afternoon hours each day. This will increase the risk for rollovers, especially for drivers who are deadheading (pulling empty trailers) or carrying light loads. However, gusts exceeding 40 mph could cause problems for drivers hauling full truckloads.

Widespread humidity of 15% or less is expected, along with very warm high temperatures between 80 and 90 degrees in coastal and valley areas. As a result of the Santa Ana winds combined with low humidity, critical fire weather conditions are likely. New wildfires could spark and spread quickly.

Because of the elevated risk, the NWS has issued a red flag warning for downtown Los Angeles and the city’s coastal areas; the Los Angeles County mountains and San Fernando Valley; the Ventura County Mountains; the Ventura County interior and coastal valleys; and the Santa Clarita Valley.