The National Weather Service says the worst of the Santa Ana Winds should be over, however, strong winds are expected to persist through the weekend, potentially hampering firefighting efforts.
Winds on Friday will pick up again after quieting overnight. Alex Tardy of the National Weather Service, said they will not be as strong as Thursday’s winds which reach 60 miles an hour in the mountains and over 40 miles per hour along Interstate 15 in the Bonsall-Fallbrook area.
RELATED: High Winds Drive Lilac Wildfire, Burning Thousands Of Acres In San Diego County
The good news is that the Santa Ana winds that blow from west to east will shift direction Friday afternoon and become more breezy. Those winds will come from the ocean and will bring a slight increase in humidity, which could help firefighting efforts.
READ: What You Need To Know In The Event Of A Wildfire In San Diego County
However, Tardy said San Diego will not be out of the woods for a few days. The Santa Anas will pick up again Saturday evening and into Sunday. They may not be as strong as the winds that drove the LilacFfire on Thursday but they will still be dangerous, blowing from the mountains to the ocean.