Southern California wind forecast: High surf and fire risk this weekend
Key takeaways
- Southern California is in for some windy weekend weather, which could create dangerous seas and elevate wildfire risk in some areas.
- The strongest gusts are predicted to blow Friday night and Saturday along the Interstate 5 corridor, the northwestern Antelope Valley and the Santa Ynez Mountains, according to the National Weather Service.
- The Central Coast could see gusts of 30 to 40 mph on Saturday and Sunday, according to the weather service.
A couple on Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara in November 2025. Strong winds and high surf advisories are in effect for San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties this weekend. (Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times) By Alex Wigglesworth Staff Writer Follow May 15, 2026 9:34 AM PT 3 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
Southern California is in for some windy weekend weather, which could create dangerous seas and elevate wildfire risk in some areas.
The strongest gusts are predicted to blow Friday night and Saturday along the Interstate 5 corridor, the northwestern Antelope Valley and the Santa Ynez Mountains, according to the National Weather Service. There’s a 70% chance gusts could reach 40 to 55 mph in these areas, and a 20% chance they’ll hit 60 mph or higher, forecasters said.