Ron Brackett
Tree lights may not twinkle on Christmas Eve across Southern California.
High winds are once again increasing the risk of wildfires, and the area's largest utility warns it may shut off electricity as a precaution.
Southern California Edison said it may cut power to more than 130,000 homes and businesses in six counties on Wednesday and Thursday.
The National Weather Service office in Los Angeles said critical fire weather is likely on those days because of gusty offshore winds, known as Santa Ana winds. The winds, which could gust as high as 60 mph in some areas, combine with low humidity, high temperatures and extremely dry vegetation to greatly increase the danger of wildfires spreading.
For a couple of years now, the state's utilities have preemptively shut off electricity to prevent downed lines from starting fires.
SoCal Edison said public safety power shutoffs could take place this week in Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.
The rainy season is off to a slow start in Southern California, with moderate drought conditions now in Los Angeles, according to weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce. Rainfall in the city since Oct. 1 is less than 5% of average.
The good news is that a Pacific storm approaching California late Sunday into Monday could finally give parts of Southern California a decent soaking.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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