It’s expected to get windier as the weekend approaches, forecasters say, but the winds probably won’t last long.

The gusty Santa Ana winds had already arrived in the mountains and valleys of Southern California Thursday afternoon, and were expected to grow stronger in the evening and into Friday morning, said Adam Roser, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

A wind advisory was in effect from Thursday to Friday afternoon in the San Bernardino and Riverside County valleys, the Inland Empire and Orange County. Winds along some of the coast passes could reach up to 70 mph, while the Inland Empire was expected to get 40 to 50 mph gusts; and mountains in Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley were predicted to receive the same wind levels around 50 mph, albeit with some isolated gusts of 60 mph in LA.

“People should make sure to be careful driving,” Roser said, especially in areas predicted to receive high winds. “And make sure to secure loose objects.”

The National Weather Service warned of the possibility of power outages brought on by the gusts, but there were no wind-related incidents as of Thursday afternoon.

Santa Ana winds will continue through Friday afternoon for much of the region. Wind Advisories remain in effect for damaging winds, hazardous travel, and possible power outages. The good news is that after this, we will be warming up with a bit less wind #CAwx pic.twitter.com/l1wjG5asyJ

— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) March 10, 2022

By Friday afternoon, Roser said those winds should begin to die down.

Saturday will say goodbye to the breeze, and welcome in warmer temperatures, with much of Southern California set to receive some dry weather in the 70s, Roser said. Sunday will see some slight cooling along the coastal and valley areas, but will continue to warm up again on Monday and Tuesday.

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