A windy forecast combined with dry conditions has fire officials on alert this weekend.
Gusty overnight winds in many Los Angeles and Ventura County areas will temporarily calm down late Friday morning but are expected to return as Santa Ana winds Friday night.
Wind advisories are in place until 10 a.m. Friday morning in the San Fernando Valley and until 7 p.m. in the San Gabriel Mountains, according to the National Weather Service.
Those advisories will turn into high wind warnings for both areas when the Santa Anas arrive Friday evening, according to the Weather Service.
The windy weather is then expected to continue into early next week along with warming temperatures.
“Sunday is the big warmup,” KTLA meteorologist Henry DiCarlo said.
The strong winds will combine with low relative humidities to bring an elevated fire risk to the region.
A fire weather watch is in effect from Saturday morning through Sunday morning for to coasts and valleys of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, as well as for the Inland Empire.
Southern California Edison is already warning customers to be prepared for possible safety power shutoffs.
More than 65,000 customers across Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernardino and Orange counties were being considered for shutoffs as of 5 a.m. Updated information can be found on the SCE website.
A northwest swell that brought 3- to 6-foot surf to Los Angeles County is beginning to shrink.
A high surf advisory is still in place for Ventura County, where surf is expected to remain between 4 and 7 feet, will remain in place until 4 p.m.
Officials warned that dangerous rip currents can form and pull swimmers out to sea. Visitors were also urged to stay off of rock walls and jetties.
