Wildfire warnings and dangerous surf in store for SoCal as Santa Ana winds return

Southern California is in for a summerlike weekend of blazing temperatures and gusty Santa Ana winds — but the warm spell could come with a dangerous side of wildfire weather, coastal flooding and a potentially soaking storm system next week.

Offshore winds are expected to strengthen Friday and Saturday, with gusts reaching 25 to 40 mph across much of the region and potentially hitting 35 to 50 mph in wind-prone mountain and canyon areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, according to the National Weather Service.

Farther south, gusts of 30 to 40 mph are possible in parts of Orange County and the Inland Empire.

Temperatures will climb into the 80s and potentially low 90s in some communities, with many coastal and valley neighborhoods expected to see highs in the mid- to upper 80s through Sunday.

“Friday is going to be the day that we’ll start to feel some warmer daytime highs,” said KTLA weather anchor Kaj Goldberg. “Then we’ll see high temps in the mid- to upper 80s both Saturday and Sunday afternoons.”

But the combination of dry air, heat and gusty winds has forecasters warning of elevated wildfire danger, particularly Friday and Saturday in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

Recent rainfall has helped knock down some of the fire threat, but the region is far from being in the clear. Live fuel moisture levels remain between 65% and 80%, meaning vegetation can still pose a significant fire risk under the right conditions.

Meteorologist Chris Nunley warned that elevated to locally critical fire weather conditions remain possible before winds ease Sunday and cooler temperatures begin moving in Monday.

Meanwhile, beachgoers could face another round of hazardous surf and coastal flooding as unusually high tides combine with larger waves.

The National Weather Service has issued a coastal flood advisory for San Diego and Orange counties from Friday morning through Tuesday afternoon.

Morning high tides are expected to reach between 7.1 and 7.7 feet through the coming days. Peak surf could reach 8 to 12 feet along the Central Coast, 5 to 8 feet in Ventura County and 2 to 5 feet elsewhere.

Orange County surf is expected to build from 2 to 4 feet to around 3 to 5 feet over the weekend, while Los Angeles and Ventura counties could also see waves in the 3- to 5-foot range.

“We’ll see some high tides and, with the Kelvin wave and the ocean surface a little bit higher, we have a chance for some minor coastal flooding as well as beach erosion,” Goldberg said.

The greatest coastal flooding and surf concerns are expected Monday and Tuesday, according to the Weather Service, with low-lying areas particularly vulnerable to flooding and beach erosion.

And the weekend’s sunshine could give way to a much soggier stretch as a series of storm systems take aim at Southern California beginning around Nov. 13.

The National Weather Service’s latest outlook highlights Friday through Tuesday, Nov. 13-17, as a period when at least moderate widespread rainfall is likely, with the highest chances between Saturday and Monday.

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