Winds across Southern California have begun to falter as crews battling the Palisades and Eaton fires begin to make their first substantial progress towards containment.
Wind speeds have remained in the lower 20s in the Malibu area, but have died down elsewhere, according to NBC4 meteorologist Bella De Leon.
De Leon added wind speeds are expected to continue dropping throughout Friday and into Saturday morning before picking up again. Those winds will become even stronger on Sunday, making the next 24 hours critical for fire crews.
The expected increased speeds are the result of another incoming system hitting the West Coast, generating another wave of strong Santa Ana winds.
De Leon also noted those higher wind speeds are here to stay through at least Wednesday of next week.
The ongoing fires haves placed Southern California back into a moderate to serve drought alongside a record lack of rain across the lower part of the state.
Since the beginning of the wet season on Oct. 1, 2024, the region has experienced little to no rainfall bolstering fire conditions.
Both the cities of Riverside and Anaheim clocked their driest start to the year on record, something unlikely to change to change in upcoming forecasts De Leon said.
