Strong winds topple trees across L.A., warmer temperatures coming
Blustery conditions toppled trees across Los Angeles on Tuesday during the peak of strong Santa Ana winds and cold temperatures.
Trees all over the city were impacted, with some falling on cars, said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The department was not aware of any deaths or life threatening injuries, he said.
“The winds have subsided for the most part and all is well,” he said.
Trees can be tricky because they can be damaged by previous winds, said Kathy Hoxsie, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
“Just because they don’t blow over, doesn’t mean they haven’t been cracked,” she said.
Gusts near Santa Clarita topped out at 44 mph, with constant winds blowing at 12 mph, she said. The Warm Springs area of the Los Angeles Mountains has reported the highest sustained winds in the area at 27 mph, with gusts at 37 mph.
The winds are fairly typical Santa Anas, she said, but the storm has brought cold, heavier air that packs “a little more punch” than a standard high to low pressure wind, she said.
Winds will continue for the next few days, but they’ve peaked and are expected to die down as temperatures warm over later this week, she said.
Temperatures have plummeted into the 30s and low 20s since last week as a low pressure system from Canada pushed down into the Southwest, causing frost and freeze advisories. The cold snap was also blamed for the deaths of four homeless people in Northern California.
But conditions are expected to warm up later in the week. Temperatures could rise into the 60s — even low 70s — this weekend as the weather system continues to make its way across the county, Hoxsie said.
Although daytime temperatures are expected to warm up, forecasters warned that late nights and early mornings could still bring bitter cold conditions, so the public should take extra care of pets, livestock and vegetation.
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Twitter: @Sam_Schaefer
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