What to Know
- A Red Flag Warning is issued for San Diego's mountains and valleys from 4 a.m. Wednesday to 6 p.m. Thursday due to elevated fire weather conditions.
- A high wind warning is in effect for the coast, valleys, mountains starting at 4 p.m. Tuesday
- A red flag warning is issued when a combination of low humidity, warm temperatures and strong winds are expected to combine to cause fires to spread rapidly
- Amid the fire weather, SDG&E warned 65,000 customers power outages are possible in their area to prevent wildfires
- Cal Fire said San Diego crews would be staffed higher than usual during the weather event
- School closures: Julian Union Elementary; Julian Union High; Mountain Empire Unified; Ramona Unified; Spencer Valley; Warner Unified
Amid an already dry winter season, the first Santa Ana wind event of 2025 is elevating fire danger this week and threatening power shut-offs for thousands of San Diego Gas & Electric customers.
School closures
The winds and potential power outages prompted several San Diego County schools to close on Wednesday, the San Diego County Office of Education announced Tuesday evening.
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Schools in the following districts are affected:
- Julian Union Elementary
- Julian Union High
- Mountain Empire Unified
- Ramona Unified
- Spencer Valley
- Warner Unified
Fire weather
Potentially fire-thrusting winds started to pick up in San Diego County on Tuesday -- with 50 mph gusts already being recorded -- but the most dangerous wind conditions were expected to reach the region on Wednesday, which prompted the National Weather Service to issue a Red Flag Warning for San Diego's mountains and valleys from 4 a.m. Wednesday through 6 p.m. Thursday.
During that time, wind gusts up to 55 mph are possible. Humidity will be between 10-20% with little recovery overnight. While Wednesday will be the windiest day of the week, Thursday will be the driest, NBC 7 Meteorologist Greg Bledsoe said.
Leading up to the Red Flag Warning, a high wind warning will be in effect for the coast, valleys and mountains.
This Santa Ana wind event is expected to be moderate but an extremely dry winter season was elevating the potential for a wildfire to spark and spread rapidly, NBC 7 Meteorologist Brooke Martell said. Some of the strongest winds are forecasted in Oceanside, Ramona, El Cajon, Alpine, Campo, Mt. Laguna, Julian, Borrego Spring, and Ocotillo Wells.
"As we know, Southern California is off to a very dry start to the water year (Oct. 1)," Martell said. "Santa Ana winds are very common during January, but what isn’t common is how dry it is."
Much of Southern California has entered the moderate drought category as we enter 2025. The U.S. Drought Monitor attributed the change to above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation. It's estimated nearly 19 million Californians are in drought areas.
SDG&E could cut power
Amid the elevated fire weather, SDG&E warned more than 65,000 customers their power may be cut off anytime from 4 p.m. Tuesday to 4 p.m. Friday amid strong winds and low humidity that create the perfect weather conditions for wildfires to spark and spread rapidly, according to the National Weather Service.
The Public Safety Power Shutoffs, as SDG&E calls them, are issued to prevent energized power lines from going down and sparking a wildfire. SDG&E says its decision to cut power to customers is made based on a combination of factors that include weather monitoring and on-the-ground observations.
Caltrans on Tuesday notified the public that public safety power shutoffs "can impact traffic signal operations, with signals initially flashing and potentially going dark after extended outages," a statement from the agency said.
According to the agency, signals will function normally for three hours after an outage begins, followed by "red flash" mode for an additional three to six hours and finally, if the outage last more than six hours, signals will enter "blackout mode."
During blackout mode, drivers must treat the intersection as a four- way stop. Stop and proceed only when it is safe.
Be fire ready
Cal Fire said San Diego crews would be staffed higher than usual and crews from Northern California would be heading south to aid efforts in SoCal.
The agency urged residents to do their part as well and provided the following reminders:
- One small spark can quickly become a large fire when it’s windy.
- When towing, ensure chains are not dragging.
- Avoid mowing or trimming dry grass on windy days.
- Do not park vehicles in dry grass.
- Ensure campfires are fully extinguished.
- Report suspicious activities promptly to prevent arson.
Cal Fire also urged residents to create an evacuation plan for humans and pets, to have a go-bag ready and to remove flammable items from the home.
Santa Ana winds & low humidity arrive mid-week per the @NWSSanDiego
Be prepared! Visit https://t.co/ifiKRm3XiT for the Ready, Set, Go! doc which has valuable info. Create an emergency plan & practice the plan with household members. Sign up for alerts - https://t.co/xtsVKsGWPR pic.twitter.com/CiSzbibHZj— SDFD (@SDFD) January 6, 2025
