LOS ANGELES >> Strong Santa Ana winds will whip across portions of the Southland Tuesday, producing 40-mile-per-hour gusts in the San Fernando, Santa Clarita and San Gabriel valleys, and showers are expected later in the week, forecasters said.
A wind advisory denoting the expectation of sustained winds or gusts of at least 35 mph will be in force until 3 p.m. in the San Gabriel and Santa Monica mountains and the San Fernando, Santa Clarita and San Gabriel valleys. The eastern foothills of the San Gabriel Valley will be especially windy, forecasters said.
The strong winds are being blamed for knocking over a 60-foot tall eucalyptus tree onto a Granada Hills home in the 17600 block of Kingsbury Street late Tuesday morning.
No injuries were reported in the incident.
The winds will make driving difficult, especially for operators of high- profile vehicles and especially on Interstate 5, the 14 Freeway, Pearblossom Highway, and the 101 and 118 freeways, National Weather Service forecasters said.
A little more than an hour after the California Highway Patrol issued a warning about strong winds through the Cajon Pass in San Bernardino County Tuesday morning, a large tractor trailer toppled over onto its side, blocking several lanes of the northbound 15 Freeway near Sierra Avenue in the Fontana area.
Around 6:15 a.m. the CHP posted a wind advisory for portions below the Cajon Pass along thee 15 Freeway near the 210 Freeway warning larger, high-profile vehicles, such as tractor trailers and SUVs to take caution while driving through areas prone to heavy winds.
Winds through the Cajon Pass and below the area, including the cities of Fontana, Rialto and Rancho Cucamonga, could reach 30 mph Tuesday with gusts of up to 45 mph, according to the NWS. They are expected to subside by Wednesday.
In the mountains, winds of 20 to 30 mph are expected, along with 45-mph gusts, although gusts of 55 mph are possible across ridge tops in the San Gabriels, according to the NWS. In the valleys, the wind is forecast to blow at between 15 and 25 mph and produce 40-mph gusts.
In San Bernardino County, the California Highway Patrol posted a wind advisory for portions below the Cajon Pass along the 15 Freeway near the 210 Freeway. The NWS showed winds in the area could reach 30 mph Tuesday with gusts of up to 45 mph. They are expected to subside some Wednesday.
While the winds will not be as intense in Riverside, some gusts could reach 20 mph in some areas of the county.
The NWS forecasted sunny skies in L.A. County Tuesday and highs of 57 in Palmdale; 58 in Lancaster; 64 on Mount Wilson; 65 in Saugus; 66 in Avalon; 67 in San Gabriel, Burbank and at LAX; 68 in downtown L.A. and Pasadena; 69 in Long Beach; and 71 in Woodland Hills.
Wednesday’s temperatures will be several degrees higher in L.A. County and marginally higher still on Thursday but expected to dip by more than 10 degrees in some communities amid showers on Friday and by several degrees more — down to the 50s — amid more showers Saturday.
In the Inland Empire, more wet and snowy weather is expected for the weekend, with showers forecast to move in on Thursday night into Friday morning, according to the NWS. The incoming weather system should also drop snow into the local mountains.
The precipitation expected Friday and Saturday will result from a storm system that originated in the Gulf of Alaska and is expected to be off the coast of Mexico Wednesday, when it will turn around as part of an unusual pattern and head for the Southland, making itself felt possibly starting late Thursday night, NWS meteorologist Dave Bruno said. It could produce between a quarter and half-inch of rain.
That system will linger on Saturday, when the Southland will be struck by a second weather system, a cold storm from Western Canada, Bruno said, adding it has a better chance than the first storm to generate heavy downpours, thunderstorms and snow at low elevations.
Staff Writer Beatriz E. Valenzuela contributed to this report.
