Millions warned to brace for ‘life-threatening’ 100mph winds as map shows where Arctic air will blast US

Tens of millions of Americans are under weather warnings as deadly winds blow toward the West Coast and an Arctic blast freezes the East.

Officials have warned Southern California residents to brace for Santa Ana winds of up to 100 mph, which could increase the risk of wildfires and power outages.

Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, Ventura and San Bernardino counties can expect wind gusts of 50 to 70 mph, with gusts up to 100 mph possible.

“This will be a dangerous and potentially destructive storm stretching from the Santa Monica Mountains to Hollywood, Burbank, Beverly Hills and Malibu,” AccuWeather Senior Director of Forecasting Operations Dan DePodwin said.

AccuWeather meteorologists expect winds to weaken Thursday as the storm that pushes them away moves away from Southern California and evolves into a winter storm across the country later in the week.

“If the storm emerges in the South Central states late this week, it will merge with cold air in the Plains, creating wintry weather across the region,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson. The storm’s path could extend into eastern Washington DC, Philadelphia and New York City this weekend, bringing snow and disrupting travel.

Meanwhile, the eastern half of the US has also been told to brace for bitterly cold temperatures set to persist through next week as waves of Arctic air rise as far south as the Gulf Coast.

Temperatures could drop to 30 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit below average during the first two weeks of January, from the Northern Plains and Midwest to the inland Southeast, AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Duffus said.

By Tuesday, the Arctic blast had killed at least six people, including one victim who was found frozen to death at a bus stop in Houston, Texas. And more than 200,000 customers are still without power in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia.

In Southern California, gusty winds can topple tree limbs and power lines, and utilities will turn off public power to minimize the risk of downed lines that could start a wildfire, increasing the overall number of outages.

The storm could also damage poorly built structures, and transportation – especially on major highways – could be affected by ‘dangerous’ crosswinds.

The region’s major airports, such as Los Angeles International (LAX), may also experience delays.

Central Los Angeles and San Diego will be spared from the strongest winds, but could still experience gusts of more than 50 km/h on Tuesday evening and Wednesday.

The Santa Ana winds, also known as the “devil winds,” are extremely dry, fast winds that blow periodically from the inland mountains to the coast of Southern California, over a period of 12 to 24 hours.

They come from high-pressure air masses in the Great Basin that push cooler air into this part of the Golden State.

This weather phenomenon typically occurs in October, but can occur at any time of the year if the right conditions arise.

These winds significantly increase the risk of wildfires because the wind dries out vegetation and increases air temperature. Once a fire breaks out, Santa Ana’s wind gusts can cause the fire to spread quickly throughout the region.

An area of ​​high pressure in the Great Basin combined with a developing storm in northwestern Mexico this week to create Tuesday’s storm, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Gwen Fieweger.

Unlike a typical Santa Ana event, strong winds could extend through areas along the Southern California coast that are usually sheltered from the wind.

On Thursday, the same storm that will produce the Santa Ana winds is expected to move east and become a winter storm across the country.

This will spread “heavy and disruptive” snow and ice from western, central and northern Texas eastward along the Interstates 20 and 40 corridors of the south-central US, including Dallas. AccuWeather reported.

Nashville could also get snow, and an icy mix could impact Atlanta and Charlotte, impacting major airport hubs in the Southeast and likely causing flight delays and cancellations.

Meanwhile, a blast of Arctic air is also heading toward the eastern half of the US, AccuWeather meteorologists warned.

Through January 12, the cold will cause temperatures to drop to at least 12 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit below average across much of the central and eastern U.S.

The Gulf Coast and Southeast will see below-freezing lows this week. These temperatures could extend almost as far south as Miami.

Central states will dip into the teens and even below freezing this week, making freezing temperatures a serious concern.

“Anyone who must spend any time outdoors is strongly encouraged to cover exposed skin,” AccuWeather said.

Increased snow showers, ice and gusty winds could also occur in some areas, especially in the Great Lakes regions and the Northeast, where lake effect snow could occur.

This wave of winter weather follows Winter Storm Blair, which brought record-breaking snowfall, icing, high winds and deadly travel conditions to the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic this week.