The dire wind forecast for northern Los Angeles and eastern Ventura counties that warned that new wildfires could be spread extremely rapidly was downgraded Tuesday, Jan. 14, when those wind speeds failed to materialize.
“Winds starting off generally a little lighter than expected as previous models were a little heavy handed for today,” the National Weather Service said in its forecast discussion. “Winds are mostly under 30 mph and confined to a corridor that runs from Acton to Oxnard and about 20 miles either side. That does not include the Palisades fire area.
Residents are still urged to be careful with fire and prepare to evacuate if called upon.
Gusts of up to 35 mph are expected in the areas of the Palisades and Eaton fires.
Winds could be slightly stronger Wednesday, the weather service said. The red flag warning, which previously included a forecast of gusts from 55 mph to 70 mph, remains scheduled to expire at noon Wednesday.
The rest of the forecast remains intact. The highest temperatures of the week — near 70 degrees in the valleys — are expected on Wednesday before dipping to around 60 degrees by Sunday. Mostly sunny skies are forecast.
A low-pressure system spinning off the coast could — maybe — bring rain to the foothills and mountains late this week, said Chandler Price, a meteorologist in the weather service’s Los Angeles/Oxnard office.
“It’s definitely not a guarantee,” Price cautioned.
The weather service’s models are mixed on whether a new round of high winds will arrive next week. Temperatures are expected to climb.
Longer term, the weather service’s Climate Prediction Center’s models still forecast a below-average amount of precipitation in Southern California this winter, Price said.