Breezy Forecast For Thursday—Drivers Beware

By City News Service

Gusty high winds will batter a large section of Southern California today and likely create challenging conditions for motorists, forecasters said.

The National Weather Service said gusty northerly winds would sweep Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties, possibly lingering until Friday morning.

In L.A. County, forecasters were expecting winds of between 15 and 30 miles per hour with gusts as powerful as 50 miles per hour.

“Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for drivers of high-profile vehicles,'' according to an NWS advisory.

A wind advisory was scheduled from 5 p.m. this afternoon until midnight in the Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys and the Santa Monica mountains, but in the San Gabriel mountains, the advisory was scheduled to go into effect at 9 a.m.

Roads expected to be particularly affected by the wind include the 5, 405, 118, 210 and 14 freeways and, in the Santa Monicas, Topanga Canyon Road,
Malibu Canyon Road and Kanan Road.

The NWS, meanwhile, forecast partly cloudy skies and temperature highs of 56 degrees Fahrenheit on Mount Wilson; 59 in Palmdale and Lancaster; 61 in
Avalon; 62 in Newport Beach; 63 at LAX; 64 in Long Beach; 66 in Saugus and downtown L.A.; 67 in Anaheim, Pasadena and San Gabriel; and 68 in Burbank and Woodland Hills.