Cold Front, Powerful Winds On Tap For SoCal This Week

After a holiday week of temperate weather, a system arriving in the Southland is expected to usher in a significant cooldown and blustery conditions, but no rain as of yet, forecasters said.

The system is expected to bring widespread gusty conditions everywhere, with winds much stronger coming to the interior valleys and mountain areas, according to the National Weather Service.

"Heads up! This week gusty Santa Ana winds are expected Mon, Wed and Thu. After the recent rains, tree roots may still be weakened and there is a risk of downed trees and tree limbs. Secure outdoor objects and avoid parking under trees during the upcoming wind events," the weather service warned on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Temperatures across inland communities will have the potential to fall near or below freezing, particularly in places like the Antelope Valley, where a Freeze Watch was in effect Monday.

Santa Ana winds are expected to arrive as early as Monday with a jet stream continuing to push storms well north of Southern California before reaching the Great Basin.

"This is a common La Nina set up and it looks like it will remain this way at least through the first half of December," forecasters in Los Angeles County wrote Monday.

Heads Up! This week gusty Santa Ana winds are expected Mon, Wed and Thu. After the recent rains, tree roots may still be weakened and there is a risk of downed trees and tree limbs. Secure outdoor objects and avoid parking under trees during the upcoming wind events! #CAwx pic.twitter.com/uy5VB4j39h
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) December 1, 2025

LA area forecasters said Monday’s Santa Ana winds won’t be particularly strong, but could still generate easterly gusts up to 40 mph in the mountains and around 30 mph in lower elevations, especially in Ventura County and northwestern Los Angeles County. Forecasters noted this event will be much cooler than last week’s Santa Ana, with coastal and valley highs expected to reach the mid-60s to low 70s.

SEE ALSO: La Niña Has Officially Arrived: Here's What That Means For Fall And Winter In CA

Winds should ease by late afternoon, though light offshore breezes may continue to funnel through canyon areas into Tuesday morning, according to the NWS. Outside of the wind-impacted regions, conditions will remain mostly calm, aside from pockets of dense fog along the Central Coast and chilly morning lows in wind-sheltered inland areas.

The National Weather Service said low clouds and patchy fog cleared rapidly Monday morning across many Southland areas in the Inland Empire, Orange County and San Diego County as weak to locally moderate Santa Ana winds developed.

Gusts between 30 and 45 mph were reported below passes, canyons and foothills, with isolated gusts near 50 mph around the Cajon Pass. The offshore flow also helped scour out the marine layer earlier than usual, the weather service said.

SEE ALSO: La Niña Usually Equals A Dry Winter. So Why Is CA Getting So Much Rain?

Forecasters expect the Santa Ana winds to weaken Monday night, with onshore flow returning by Tuesday morning. That shift will likely bring marine layer clouds and fog back to the coast and lead to slightly cooler temperatures Tuesday, with highs near or a little below normal west of the mountains, forecaster said.

Another round of weak to moderate Santa Ana winds is expected from late Wednesday through Friday, peaking Thursday, according to the NWS. Then, gradual warming is expected late week into the weekend, with temperatures returning to around seasonal averages.

Here's the forecast for some SoCal cities on Tuesday, according to the NWS:

• Downtown Los Angeles: Sunny, with a high near 68. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Patchy fog after 10pm. Otherwise, increasing clouds, with a low around 49. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
• Malibu: Mostly sunny, with a high near 64. East northeast wind around 5 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Increasing clouds, with a low around 52. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming east after midnight.
• Long Beach: Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Increasing clouds, with a low around 52. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
• Mission Viejo: Sunny, with a high near 68. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Calm wind.
• Newport Beach: Sunny, with a high near 66. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. West wind around 5 mph becoming south after midnight.
• Banning: Sunny, with a high near 66. Light and variable wind becoming west 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Patchy fog after 10pm. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 44. Southwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
• Temecula: Sunny, with a high near 69. Light and variable wind becoming southwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Patchy fog after 10pm. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 41. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.
• San Diego: Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 66. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon. Increasing clouds, with a low around 53. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
• Santee: Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 70. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.