More Santa Ana winds hit SoCal; fire weather watch issued

LOS ANGELES - Another round of gusty Santa Ana winds is expected to remain in through Saturday, again raising concerns about heightened wildfire conditions.

The National Weather Service issued a fire weather watch that will be in effect from 1 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday in the Los Angeles and Santa Monica mountains. The watch will also be in effect until Saturday evening for the Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys and the Malibu Coast.

"A moderate to locally strong Santa Ana wind event is expected late Friday night through Saturday," according to the NWS. "There is some uncertainty in humidities, but gusty northeast winds combined with low humidities of possibly as low as 8 to 15 percent may support six or more hours of critical fire weather conditions on Saturday."

Forecasters said the mountains could get hit with northeast winds of 40 to 55 mph, with localized gusts reaching 70 mph in some peaks and canyons. The strongest winds are expected Saturday morning.

In other affected areas, winds of 30 to 45 mph are anticipated, with gusts possible up to 60 mph.

"A Fire Weather Watch means that critical fire weather conditions are likely to occur in the coming days," according to the NWS. "Residents near wildland interfaces should prepare now on what to do if a wildfire breaks out."