Santa Ana wind forecast incites worry: When high winds could return to LA area

After a break in strong winds that helped firefighters make progress against the deadly blazes in Southern California, gusty Santa Ana winds are returning to the region this week, raising the threat of more destruction as humidity levels remain low and dry conditions persist.

High winds and red flag advisories warning of "a particularly dangerous situation" were set to activate Monday night and last through at least Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Winds in Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties could reach between 55 and 70 mph, with some stronger gusts at higher elevations.

"If fire ignition occurs, conditions are favorable for very rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior, including long range spotting, which would threaten life and property," a critical red flag warning from the weather service office in Los Angeles said.

More: Winds poised to intensify, complicating LA wildfire battle: Live updates

AccuWeather said it expects some winds gusts to possibly reach 100 mph in the mountains as they did last week, which led to the explosive wildfire growth that has torched entire neighborhoods and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.

The strongest winds – possibly reaching hurricane speeds – are expected to last between Tuesday and Wednesday morning, forecasters said.

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Drought conditions remain in Southern California

Humidity levels are expected to remain low – around 10% to 20% – providing little moisture to the region as parched vegetation continues to fuel the blazes, the weather service said. Additionally, no rain is expected to alleviate drought conditions in Southern California this week.

"Dating back to April of last year, Los Angeles has not yet crested the 1-inch mark for rainfall. This is a period when downtown L.A. typically receives between 5-6 inches of rain," said Alex Sosnowski, a senior meteorologist for AccuWeather, in an online forecast.

Just about all of Southern California, including Los Angeles and Ventura counties, is experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

AccuWeather forecasters said they are monitoring a chance winds surge again in the midweek, with a change in wind direction possibly bringing "slightly higher moisture levels."

"The wind could subside from late Tuesday into Wednesday [across Southern California]. However, the wind could change direction and increase again midweek, this time onshore. This should increase humidity levels some," said AccuWeather meteorologist Paul Pastelok.

More: How do Santa Ana winds hinder fight against LA fires? We explain.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Santa Ana winds today: Wind forecast brings 'dangerous situation'