The storms that have been rolling in off the Pacific have been causing verystrong winds all week long. The reason these systems bring so much wind is thatthe atmosphere is very unstable which allows jet stream energy to mix down tothe surface. Thus, you get the gusts to 70 and 80 mph.Some of the strongest reported winds occurred earlier this week in New Port andHuntington beaches where gusts reached 100 mph which could have been inconjunction with a tornado that was in the area.
Thursday night, the highest winds will shift out of California but will persistin Arizona and New Mexico. Over the ridges, wind gusts can easily reach 70 mphwhich represents quite a hazard to high profile vehicles.
Story By AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist John Kocet.
