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High winds and unusually dry conditions are fueling the Los Angeles infernos

California wildfire season should be over. So why is L.A. burning?

Unusually dry conditions and hurricane-force seasonal winds are fueling multiple fast-moving and destructive wildfires in Los Angeles County. Gusts that reached over 145 kilometers per hour (90 miles per hour) quickly drove the blazes into urban areas, forcing more than 100,000 people to evacuate from their homes and killing at least 5 people as of JAn. 8.  ...

One of the big reasons the Los Angeles–area fires are growing so out of control is that Santa Ana winds are blowing across the region. These winds typically occur in the fall and winter, and they involve dry wind blowing from inland, high desert areas toward the California coast. Along the way, the wind blows over mountain ranges. As the wind descends the mountains, it becomes compressed due to the increased atmospheric pressure and warms. That in turn lowers the relative humidity of the already dry desert air, making it better at desiccating vegetation that can fuel fires. 

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WEATHER ADVISORY -URGENT

Tue Nov 26 15:57:54 2013 
STATUS: Open - Active 
PROGNOSIS: Monitoring 
Weather-Nor-Easter 
Citywide  

 

(OEM WEATHER DISTRIBUTION LIST)

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY 
345 PM EST TUE NOV 26 2013

...STRONG WINDS EXPECTED FROM LATE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MAINLY 
IN AND NEAR NEW YORK CITY AND COASTAL SECTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NEW 
YORK AND CONNECTICUT...

NORTHERN MIDDLESEX-SOUTHERN FAIRFIELD-SOUTHERN NEW HAVEN-HUDSON- 
SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER-NEW YORK (MANHATTAN)-BRONX- 
RICHMOND (STATEN ISLAND)-KINGS (BROOKLYN)-NORTHERN QUEENS- 
SOUTHERN QUEENS- 
345 PM EST TUE NOV 26 2013

...WIND ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 AM EST 
WEDNESDAY...

* LOCATIONS...NEW YORK CITY...HUDSON COUNTY...SOUTHERN 
  WESTCHESTER COUNTY... COASTAL SOUTHEASTERN CONNECTICUT...AND 
  NORTHERN MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

* HAZARDS...STRONG WINDS.

* WINDS...SOUTHEAST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH.

* TIMING...STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE FROM LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY 
  WEDNESDAY MORNING.

* IMPACTS...POTENTIAL FOR DOWNED TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES...AND 
  POSSIBLY A FEW TREES...CAUSING PROPERTY DAMAGE AND POWER 
  OUTAGES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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