Some parts of Southern California are off to a windy start on Monday morning, and utility companies are warning customers that they may need to shut off power in certain areas to reduce the risk of wildfires.
Aside from the power outages, commuters faced hazardous conditions during the morning drive. Parts of the 15 Freeway, where high-profile vehicles often drive, were within the windiest zones. The transition from the eastbound 210 freeway onto the northbound 15 freeway was also among the more dangerous places to drive.
Winds began howling late Sunday night, and only picked up intensity into the early morning.
Gusts reached speeds up to 30 miles per hour in Fontana and other parts of the region.
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"If your vehicles are heavy enough, you flow through okay. If they're small, there's a little bit of swerving. So you have to be good defensive drivers on this day," said Bill Carter, one local driver.
Fontana is under a public safety power shutoff warning, as part of SoCal Edison's efforts to help keep SoCal safe from wildfires.
Electrical service could be interrupted if officials from the utility believe the Santa Ana Winds and the dry vegetation could potentially start a wildfire.
Almost 40,000 customers in the Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernardino County areas could be impacted Monday, SoCal Edison said.
Click here for more information from SoCal Edison about the regions that may be affected.
The Santa Ana winds are expected to die down around 2 or 3 p.m., when wind advisories in Orange County, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, and the Malibu coast expire.
