The National Weather Service said a red flag warning of high fire danger for San Diego County will remain in effect for another day as Santa Ana winds are expected to gust to 30 to 40 mph in local mountains and valleys due to a drop in humidity.

“We will continue to see Santa Ana winds across much of the valley for the remainder of the evening and into early morning Thursday,” weather meteorologist Kyle Wheeler said.

The warning for valleys in San Diego County is expected to remain in effect until Thursday evening, while the warning for mountainous areas is expected to be in effect until Friday morning.

Strong wind forecasts led the Mountain Empire Unified School District to cancel classes at all of its schools on Wednesday. There was no announcement until the afternoon whether classes would resume on Thursday.

Wheeler said he expects northeasterly winds to peak just after sunset Wednesday.

Temperatures are expected to be below normal because the storm system that produced the winds was very cold and brought snow to northern Arizona and New Mexico, Wheeler said.

The East County school district canceled classes because traveling on mountain roads in windy conditions can be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles such as school buses, county officials said. San Diego Gas and Electric also turn off power Transportation was provided to approximately 700 residents as a safety precaution due to strong winds.

“A red flag warning means critical fire weather conditions are currently occurring or will occur shortly,” the National Weather Service said. Strong winds combined with low relative humidity and high temperatures “can contribute to extreme fire behavior,” the agency said.

San Diego Gas and Electric said 683 customers in the Campo and Boulevard areas were without power due to a power outage for public safety reasons.

The wind warning warns that tree limbs could topple, leading to possible power outages, and urges motorists to use “extreme caution”, especially those driving high-profile vehicles.

First Publication Date: November 6, 2024 09:48 PST