No Rain in Sight for Southern California for Next Few Weeks, Keeping Fire Danger High

Firefighters battle wind-whipped flames engulfing multiple homes during the Hillside Fire in the North Park neighborhood of San Bernardino on Oct. 31, 2019. (Credit: Josh Edelson / AFP / Getty Images)

by: Los Angeles Times

Posted: Oct 31, 2019 / 03:06 PM PDT

Updated: Oct 31, 2019 / 05:16 PM PDT

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The unusually long Santa Ana wind event is expected to ease Thursday evening. And with it, the fire risk will be reduced as well.

But there is little good news on the horizon, with forecasters seeing little chance of rain in the next few weeks.

Critical fire weather warnings have been extended through Friday night for the windiest spots of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, continuing red-flag conditions for an additional 24 hours. The red-flag warnings, which sound the alarm for high winds, dry air and parched vegetation, will persist for inland mountains and valleys in Los Angeles and Ventura counties and the Santa Clarita Valley because of ongoing winds from the northeast and very dry air. Other areas were expected to see red-flag warnings expire as gusts ease Thursday evening to 25 mph to 35 mph.

Top wind gusts recorded Thursday were still strong — 67 mph in a Ventura County coastal valley, the National Weather Service reported, not much weaker than a peak recorded Wednesday of 78 mph at Boney Peak in the Santa Monica Mountains. The air is still bone dry, with relative humidity levels in Simi Valley, the site of the fire that threatened the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, at 8% Thursday.

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