A red-flag fire warning will be in effect Monday morning through early Wednesday east of Interstate 15 in San Diego County, where emerging drought conditions are making the chaparral unusually dry, the National Weather Service said.
Moderate-to-strong Santa Ana winds are expected to begin popping through the mountains and inland valleys and foothills on Monday afternoon and will intensify on Tuesday, when some gusts could reach 50 mph to 60 mph in wind-prone areas like Ramona and Alpine. Driving could become dicey on Interstate 8 east of Alpine.
The relative humidity will drop below 20% on Monday afternoon and fall as low as 5% on Tuesday and Wednesday, forecasters said. Such conditions are conducive to the spread of wildfire.
Coastal areas also will experience low humidity, but it won’t be as bad as it will be in East County.
The Santa Anas will arrive from the east at a precarious moment. The county has received only a fraction of its seasonal rainfall. San Diego International Airport has been especially dry, recording only 0.13 inches of precipitation since October 1. That’s about 1.50 inches below average.
Forecasters say the county is unlikely to receive appreciable rain through Dec. 15, and probably through Christmas Day. California has received several rain events since early November, but the storms have largely remained in the northern part of the state. Forecast models suggest that the trend could last into January.
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