*** BREAKING NEWS*** First Santa Ana Wind Event of the season predicted, All SoCal Residents take note

I was just browsing Kevin's site and found this over there. Seems like he is calling for a huge event this coming weekend similar to October 2007. That would not be good. Everyone should be on guard.

CORONA, CA - October 6, 2008 (OWSweather.com) The Santa Ana Winds are regional dry offshore winds that bring fire dangers, gusty conditions, and very dry air into the populated areas of Southern California.

Forecasters at the Ontario Weather Service in Southern California are forecasting a potent Santa Ana Wind event this weekend. If everything falls into place, this event would reach the magnitude of last years October Santa Ana event. Meteorologist Kevin Martin of OWSweather opened a Santa Ana Wind forecast center. It is the first and only official center for the regional winds. Hundreds of fire officials from all over are quickly understanding the center's use and supplying their departments advanced warning.

Since September 24, 2008, Martin has been emailing, and chatting on the phone with officials about the coming Santa Ana condition. "Now is the time to prepare if you live in these prone areas, "Martin said. "and we have been warning ones who listen to OWSweather since September 24th this was coming at this time. We do not do this for our health. We expect to be taken seriously when wording is out on the event."

The OWS also has a Heat Advisory out for Tuesday and Wednesday of this week for the Ventura County Valleys. Temperatures are expected to be back in heatwave levels with near or at triple digit temperatures being recorded.

Martin sees this as major problem. "A heat wave before the Santa Ana Wind event is never helpful, "Martin explained. "The hot and dry air will further dry out the brush, thus elevating fire dangers when the Santa Ana arrives this weekend. We aren't looking too good if this pattern continues. In my rainy season forecast I did mention two strong offshore flow events. This is just one of them. We will have to deal with another on a similar scale before the above average rainfall pattern finally debarks."

Martin will be on more emails and calls to try to get this word out. It would severely help if a reporter or official in fire to get a hold of OWSweather and take action to talk with and publish the OWSweather forecast to a larger number of people. The word must get out. The service is working with FireInformation.com, a resource for fire information in Southern California, in getting the word out.

The Santa Ana Wind Forecast Center (SAWFC) will be open for the event. OWSweather has new watches out this year. Those watches aren't wind advisory watches like other weather agencies. OWSweather has coined the new watches after the winds they derive from. Santa Ana Wind watches and warnings will be issued for this event if the pattern stays this way.

OWSweather.com Staff

More information: www.OWSweather.com