Scorching temperatures that baked Southern California over Labor Day weekend will continue this week paired with thunderstorms and lightning strikes that will heighten fire risks across much of the state.
A surge of monsoonal moisture, not uncommon during summer months, moved into the state from the southwest desert region early Tuesday, bringing lightning across much of California. Monsoon thunderstorms can trigger dust storms, lightning-sparked wildfires and downpours that result in flooding.
Lightning paired with potential wind gusts of up to 50 mph and high temperatures reaching into the triple digits in some areas will significantly raise fire weather concerns through at least Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
Meteorologists tracked between 50 and 100 lightning strikes per hour across Southern California on Tuesday morning, said Bryan Lewis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
“This one has quite a bit of energy with it,” Lewis said. “There is definitely concern for fire starts due to lightning strikes. I think lightning and wind are the biggest concerns right now.”
Farther north in Stanislaus County, a grass fire broke out early Tuesday shortly after a lightning storm passed through the region. The cause of the fire, which quickly scorched 300 acres, has not been determined.
Crews are also continuing to fight the Garnet fire, a blaze sparked by lightning last week in the Sierra National Forest. The fire has burned more than 24,800 acres as of Tuesday and is 12% contained, according to the Forest Service.
Meteorologists are predicting a 50% chance of thunderstorms directly affecting the Garnet fire, and firefighters overnight reported lightning strikes in the area around 3 a.m. Tuesday.
“Along with a threat of new starts, strong, erratic outflow winds from convective activity can affect fire spread and are a threat to firefighter safety,” the Forest Service wrote in a news release.
A similar lightning storm in summer 2020 sparked a series of intense fires — the North Complex fire, the LNU Lightning Complex fire and the CZU Lightning Complex fire — in Northern California that collectively burned more than 800,000 acres and killed at least 22 people, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Thunderstorms are expected from Sacramento all the way to San Diego County beginning midday Tuesday. In Southern California, the heaviest storms will be focused over the Antelope Valley and the San Gabriel Mountains through Wednesday evening, bringing a 30% to 50% chance of flooding to the area that includes the Bridge fire burn scar.
Peak rain rates could range between half an inch to an inch per hour, according to the weather service.
“Any storm could produce brief heavy rain, suddenly strong winds, dangerous lightning, fire starts. Stay weather aware today. If you hear thunder, seek shelter,” the weather service wrote on X.
A flood watch has been issued for a portion of Central California, including Kern River Valley, Grand Grove, Indian Wells Valley, Kings Canyon National Park, Mojave Desert, Tehachapi and the south end of the Upper Sierra, through Wednesday evening warning of excessive runoff that could result in rivers, creeks and streams flooding low-lying areas.
In Southern California, the weather service issued a flood watch for Death Valley National Park, the eastern and western Mojave Desert and Morongo Basin warning of moderate to heavy rainfall.
Meanwhile a heat advisory remains in place across much of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties with daytime temperatures reaching into the high 90s. The mercury in Clarita, Woodland Hills and Palm Springs could rise to over 100 degrees.
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