Normal Santa Ana Conditions Return

Wind will continue howling through parts of Los Angeles through Friday afternoon, though gusts will weaken substantially.

Santa Ana winds will blow up to 25 mph in Santa Monica. The strongest winds at speeds of up to 40 mph will gust mainly over passes and canyons from Malibu through the Hollywood Hills through early Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service said.

A red flag warning remains in effect until 3 p.m. in coastal areas as low humidity coupled with the lingering wind "should result in favorable conditions for rapid fire growth."

"We'll see those breezes in the San Fernando Valley, through the Santa Ana corridors," Los Angeles Fire Dept. Chief Brian Cummings said at a press conference Thursday afternoon. "The wind will diminish but we're still at an increased [risk] of fire due to the wind and the low humidity."

Another surge in offshore winds is expected later Saturday in Sunday, possibly requiring another round of wind advisories, forecasters said.

Fierce Santa Anas roared through the Westside Wednesday night, sparking power outages in Santa Monica and neighboring cities.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa called it "one of the worst storms that the city has experienced in decades."

Gusts knocked down thousands of trees and strewn debris, limiting and, in some cases, blocking utility crews' access to equipment, Southern California Edison said of conditions in the San Gabriel Valley.

Roughly 140,000 Angelenos were still without electricity early Thursday afternoon.

In Santa Monica, gusts were less damaging, but still powerful at 35 mph.