The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 on Tuesday to approve a proposal to improve the county’s preparedness for wildfires. “It only takes a spark, a downed power line or a stray ember carried by Santa Ana winds or a sudden shift in the weather can turn a quiet afternoon into catastrophe,” said County Supervisor Jim Desmond during a news conference before Tuesday’s meeting.
It only takes one spark. A downed power line, a stray ember carried by the wind or a sudden shift in the weather can turn a quiet afternoon into a disaster. We’ve seen it before. The wildfires of 2003 and 2007 devastated San Diego County, destroying thousands of homes, displacing families and leaving a lasting mark on our region. These fires weren’t just tragedies — they were hard lessons. And if there’s one thing we’ve learned, we can never afford to be complacent.
With winds dying down on Friday throughout San Diego County and a ridge of high pressure moving out, we will see some major changes in the weekend forecast that include a significant drop in temperatures, cloudier skies, and, yes, a good chance for some light to moderate rain and snow in our local mountains. The chance for rain comes after Southern California has been pelted with Santa Ana winds for winds and wildfires have sparked up across the region.
SAN DIEGO – Dry vegetation and strong winds elevated critical fire weather conditions across Southern California on Wednesday keeping the blaze-weary region on high alert as firefighters gained a foothold on several infernos and prepared for rain this weekend. Red flag warnings were in effect until Thursday night for parts of Los Angeles, Ventura and San Diego counties due to low humidity and an expected uptick in Santa Ana winds, according to the National Weather Service.
San Diego is facing its driest start to the 24-25 water year with a more than three-inch rainfall deficit and there’s no relief in sight.
With only 0.14 inches of rain since Oct. 1, 2024 to date, this will be the driest start ever to San Diego’s water year which runs from the beginning of October through Sept. 30. Rainfall records date back to 1850.
A Pacific storm that was expected to drench San Diego County late Friday and early Saturday is turning away from the region and won’t deliver rain that’s needed to help reduce the risk of wildfires ahead of Santa Ana winds next week, the National Weather Service said.
Forecasters originally thought the system would drop about 0.70 inches of rain west of Interstate 15 and as much as an inch in the valleys, foothills and mountains to the east.
A team led by Kristen Guirguis, a climate researcher at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, found evidence that the risk of hazardous weather is increasing in the Southwest.
The researchers investigated the daily relationships among four major modes of weather affecting California. How they interact governs the formation of weather events such as atmospheric rivers capable of bringing torrential rains and Santa Ana winds that can spread devastating wildfires.
An unusual winter heatwave is expected across California this week with record temperatures in the forecast for multiple cities from the San Francisco Bay Area to Los Angeles.
In Southern California, where temperatures are predicted to be 15 to 20 degrees above normal from Wednesday morning through Sunday, the National Weather Service upgraded a heat watch to a heat advisory.
The heat watch and advisory were the first to be issued by the Los Angeles weather office in the month of February, according to records dating to 2006. Most heat watches and warnings in the area are issued from May through October.
Santa Ana winds returned to Ventura County this week, bringing back dry, breezy and warm conditions but little fire risk.
Peak Santa Ana wind season typically runs from October through January, and without enough rain, fire season can drag on. This year, however, December storms drenched the region, dampening the threat of large wildfires.
California’s changing climate has pushed fire season to new lengths, triggering once-rare winter blackouts. State utilities cut power to more than 72,000 homes and businesses Tuesday in a preemptive effort to prevent live wires from sparking wildfires as Santa Ana winds threaten to fan flames. Blazes are breaking out nonetheless, including in Santa Cruz County, where two fires are prompting evacuations.
