This Forecast May Come as a Bitter Blow

Hold on to your contact lenses, the Santa Anas are going to blow again. The winds are expected Thursday and “could possibly be as strong as last week’s,” said Janice Roth, a meteorologist at WeatherData, which provides forecasts for The Times.

The winds could average 15 to 30 m.p.h. with higher gusts, potentially up to 50 m.p.h., especially below canyons and passes, she said. They are expected to slacken by Friday afternoon, Roth said. “But it’s a little early to be real specific,” Roth said.

Today’s high temperatures are expected to reach the upper 60s and lower 70s under mostly clear skies. On Wednesday, the highs are expected to be in the mid- to upper 60s along the coast and in the mid-70s inland.

Those cooler temperatures “will help counteract” the hot air that the Santa Ana winds usually blow through Orange County, Roth said. Temperatures Thursday and Friday could be in the 70s, with some areas reaching the lower 80s, she said.

Santa Ana winds result when a strong high pressure system settles over the Los Angeles basin, and north to northeast winds swirl in from the deserts to the coastal areas, she said.