Tens of millions of Americans have been issued weather warnings as deadly winds approach the West Coast and an Arctic blast chills the East.
Officials have warned residents in Southern California to brace for Santa Ana winds gusting up to 100 mph, which could increase the risk of wildfires and power outages.
Wind gusts of 50 to 70 mph are expected in Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, Ventura, and San Bernardino counties, with gusts up to 100 mph also possible.
‘This will be a dangerous and potentially destructive windstorm from the Santa Monica mountains to Hollywood, Burbank, Beverly Hills, and Malibu,’ AccuWeather Senior Director of Forecasting Operations Dan DePodwin warned.
AccuWeather meteorologists expect the winds to subside on Thursday as the storm that is causing them moves away from Southern California and develops into a cross-country winter storm later in the week.
‘As the storm emerges in the South Central states late this week, it will merge with the cold air in the Plains, causing wintery weather across the region,’ AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.
This weekend, the storm’s path could reach as far east as Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York City, bringing snow and disrupting travel.
Meanwhile, the eastern half of the United States has been warned to expect bitterly cold temperatures over the next week as Arctic air surges as far south as the Gulf Coast.
Temperatures could drop 30 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit below average from the northern Plains and Midwest to the interior Southeast during the first two weeks of January, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Duffus.
Gusty winds in Southern California may cause tree limbs and power lines to fall, and utility crews will conduct public safety power shut offs to reduce the risk of downed lines sparking a wildfire, increasing the number of outages.
The windstorm could also cause damage to poorly constructed structures, and ‘dangerous’ crosswinds could disrupt transportation, particularly on major interstates.
The region’s major airports, including Los Angeles International (LAX), may also experience delays.
Downtown Los Angeles and San Diego will be spared the strongest winds, but they may still experience gusts of over 30 mph Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Santa Ana winds, also known as the ‘devil winds,’ are extremely dry, high-speed winds that periodically blow from the inland mountains to the coast of Southern California, peaking every 12 to 24 hours.
They are caused by high-pressure air masses in the Great Basin pushing cooler air down toward this part of the Golden State.
This weather phenomenon typically occurs in October, but it can happen at any time of year if the right conditions exist.
These winds significantly increase the risk of wildfire because they dry out vegetation and raise air temperatures. Once a fire starts, Santa Ana winds can help it spread quickly throughout the region.
According to AccuWeather Meteorologist Gwen Fieweger, Tuesday’s windstorm was caused by the combination of a high pressure system in the Great Basin and a developing storm in northwestern Mexico.
Unlike a typical Santa Ana event, strong winds could reach areas along the Southern California coast that are normally wind-protected.
By Thursday, the same storm that caused the Santa Ana winds is expected to move east and become a cross-country winter storm.
AccuWeather reported that ‘heavy and disruptive’ snow and ice will spread from western, central, and northern Texas eastward along the interstates 20 and 40 corridors of the south-central US, including Dallas.
Nashville could also get snow, and an icy mix could hit Atlanta and Charlotte, affecting major airport hubs in the Southeast and likely causing flight delays and cancellations.
Meanwhile, AccuWeather meteorologists predict that a blast of Arctic air will hit the eastern half of the United States.
Through January 12, temperatures will be at least 12 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit below average across much of the central and eastern United States.
This week, overnight lows will dip below freezing along the Gulf Coast and Southeast. These temperatures could reach nearly as far south as Miami.
This week, overnight temperatures in the central states will drop into the teens and even below zero, raising serious concerns about frostbite.
‘Anyone who must venture outside for an extended period of time is strongly advised to cover exposed skin,’ AccuWeather said.
Some areas may also see additional rounds of snow, ice, and strong winds, particularly in the Great Lakes and Northeast regions, which may experience lake-effect snow.
This surge of winter weather follows Winter Storm Blair, which brought record-breaking snowfall, icing, high winds, and deadly travel conditions to the Ohio Valley and the mid-Atlantic this week.
As of Tuesday, Blair had claimed the lives of at least six people, and more than 200,000 customers in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia remained without power.
