Santa Ana Winds

The National Weather Service is warning that the expected onslaught of fierce Santa Ana winds on Friday will heighten the threat of brush fires. The dry, gusty winds prompted the weather service to issue a red-flag warning for Ventura and Los Angeles counties. The warning signifies critical brush-fire conditions. The warning is in effect from 8 p.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Saturday. Gusts in the mountain areas were expected to be 60 mph to 70 mph, the agency said. The winds could gust up to 55 mph in valley and coastal areas.

Wind gusts of up to 60 mph in local valleys and moutnain passes on Thursday prompted the National Weather Service to issue a warning today. The high wind warning goes into effect 4 a.m. Thursday until noon Friday as a high-pressure system builds inland, creating sustained Santa Ana winds of between 25 and 45 mph, with gusts of up to 60 mph, according to the weather agency. The wind warning affects a wide swath of local mountain and valley areas, including Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena.

The Pasadena and Glendale region should be spared the heavy destruction caused by a massive windstorm Nov. 30, according to the National Weather Service. A high wind warning from 3 a.m. Friday to 3 p.m. Saturday mostly affects the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys, with 60 mph gusts possible amid sustained winds of 40 mph. Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said the more "classic" Santa Ana wind pattern would be "nothing like last time" -- referring to the windstorm that swept through the San Gabriel Valley overnight Nov. 31, causing tens of millions of dollars in damage, felling hundreds of trees and spurring widespread power outages.

Gary Moskowitz Local residents can expect the Santa Ana winds to return today, but nothing like the fierce gusts that blew through Glendale and surrounding areas last week. "It will be a little breezy, but it should be a weak one, nothing like last week," National Weather Service Meteorologist Bruce Rockwell said. "There's no guarantee, so we could get stronger winds, but probably not until February." Mild Santa Ana winds that were developing Wednesday should blow through Glendale today at 20 to 30 mph. The winds should last only about 24 hours, Rockwell said.

Karen S. Kim Residents who broke out the winter bedding and wool jackets last week in preparation for colder fall temperatures might have acted a little too soon. Temperatures rocketed up into the 90s over the weekend, reaching 92 degrees Monday. The surge in heat was caused by offshore winds heating up as they passed through the mountains, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Curt Kaplan. "This could be very typical at this time of year," Kaplan said Monday.

Rima Shah The warm weather that Glendale residents have been enjoying will cool off for the rest of the week, according to Bob Gregg, a local amateur climatologist. Monday's weather, with a high of 75 degrees, was warm, but not even close to the record high for the day. The record for this date was 85 degrees, in 1989, Gregg said. The Santa Ana winds, which blow in from the northeast and compress as they go down the mountains, are a cause for the recent warm temperature, he said.

A "pesky" storm system starts to move into the region today, bringing with it the likelihood of rain on Thanksgiving, according to the National Weather Service. But fear not Black Friday shoppers, the Southern California sun is expected to reign supreme after Thursday through early next week as Santa Ana winds pick up and start a swift warming trend. The rain storm should clear out overnight Thursday, according to the weather service, allowing daytime temperatures on Friday to rebound into the 70s on Friday, and then into the 80s through the weekend.

by Geghard Arakelian With temperatures getting higher and Santa Ana winds picking up, the sudden rainfall in previous weeks has not changed the fact that this is wildfire season, said Los Angeles County fire officials. "It's still pretty reasonable as far as the possibility for us to have a brush fire," said Capt. Adrian Murrieta, who works in fire station 82 in La Cañada Flintridge. "All you need is a couple days of winds." A yearly fire season comes in between the early fall and late winter.

Newport-Mesa firefighters who spent five days battling blazes in Los Angeles County returned home Sunday, but dry, hot winds predicted for the region this week could raise the risk of more wildfires. Eight firefighters from Newport-Mesa were dispatched to the Topanga fire late Wednesday as part of a five-engine strike team. They were transferred to the Burbank fire Saturday. With the fires in Los Angeles County mostly contained, the Newport-Mesa strike team members are back.

The National Weather Service is warning that the expected onslaught of fierce Santa Ana winds on Friday will heighten the threat of brush fires. The dry, gusty winds prompted the weather service to issue a red-flag warning for Ventura and Los Angeles counties. The warning signifies critical brush-fire conditions. The warning is in effect from 8 p.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Saturday. Gusts in the mountain areas were expected to be 60 mph to 70 mph, the agency said. The winds could gust up to 55 mph in valley and coastal areas.

Public works crews Thursday night were able to remove a 100-foot pine tree that fell across the 3300 block of Burritt Way in North Glendale earlier that day, city spokesman Tom Lorenz said. Strong wind gusts on Thursday uprooted the large pine tree, damaging gas lines and forcing the temporary evacuation of four homes. No injuries were reported in the incident, which occurred near New York Avenue. A high wind warning remains in effect for local valleys and mountain passes until 3 p.m. today, with the National Weather Service warning that strong gusts of up to 45 mph are still possible as Santa Ana winds start subsiding.

Strong wind gusts today uprooted a large pine tree in North Glendale, damaging gas lines and forcing the temporary evacuation of four homes, officials said. No injuries were reported in the incident, which occurred in the 3300 block of Burritt Way near New York Avenue. Residents have been allowed to return to their homes as public works crews assess the 100-foot tree, which is blocking the street, a city officials said. The street may be closed until tomorrow as crews work to remove the tree and repair any damaged infrastructure.

Wind gusts of up to 60 mph in local valleys and moutnain passes on Thursday prompted the National Weather Service to issue a warning today. The high wind warning goes into effect 4 a.m. Thursday until noon Friday as a high-pressure system builds inland, creating sustained Santa Ana winds of between 25 and 45 mph, with gusts of up to 60 mph, according to the weather agency. The wind warning affects a wide swath of local mountain and valley areas, including Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena.

The Pasadena and Glendale region should be spared the heavy destruction caused by a massive windstorm Nov. 30, according to the National Weather Service. A high wind warning from 3 a.m. Friday to 3 p.m. Saturday mostly affects the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys, with 60 mph gusts possible amid sustained winds of 40 mph. Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said the more "classic" Santa Ana wind pattern would be "nothing like last time" -- referring to the windstorm that swept through the San Gabriel Valley overnight Nov. 31, causing tens of millions of dollars in damage, felling hundreds of trees and spurring widespread power outages.

A "pesky" storm system starts to move into the region today, bringing with it the likelihood of rain on Thanksgiving, according to the National Weather Service. But fear not Black Friday shoppers, the Southern California sun is expected to reign supreme after Thursday through early next week as Santa Ana winds pick up and start a swift warming trend. The rain storm should clear out overnight Thursday, according to the weather service, allowing daytime temperatures on Friday to rebound into the 70s on Friday, and then into the 80s through the weekend.

Glendale, the airship capital of the world! That was the dream of a brilliant, self-taught inventor by the name of Thomas B. Slate. Selecting Glendale as the site of the Slate Aircraft Company in 1925, his futuristic portrayal of an efficient and comfortable means of passenger travel between Los Angeles and New York, as well as the profit potential of the venture, convinced many prominent Glendale residents to become stockholders. Intrigued by his commitment to name the first airship built "The City of Glendale," the City Council leased a large tract of land to Slate at the new Grand Central Air Terminal.

LA CRESCENTA — Even as attention has turned to the dangers posed by a wet winter on the barren hillsides of the Angeles National Forest, foothill residents say they’re continuing to grapple with a sooty menace — ash. Particulate leftovers from the largest fire in Los Angeles County history has continued to fall in foothill neighborhoods, stirring concerns among some residents about the effects of the ash on their homes and...

GLENDALE — Overcoming inexperience and illness, Crescenta Valley High won first-place at the 17th annual Scholastic Bowl on Monday. "We had a really young team and we weren't really expecting to win," said Amanda Chatem, Crescenta Valley High English teacher. The win puts an end to Hoover High's three-year reign as champions at the competition. Hoover student Christina Javier, 17, said her team was just not fast enough to respond to second-round questions. "But it was OK," she said.