Critical fire conditions are expected to continue through Friday. But rain could be on the way this weekend. Here's what to know.

Meteorologists said there was a chance the winds would be as severe as those that fueled the Palisades and Eaton fires, but that different locations would likely be affected.

After a much quieter weekend, Southern California is experiencing a major shift in the weather pattern. The winds will peak Monday evening and overnight but extend into Tuesday morning.

The winds fueling Southern California wildfires form when a high-pressure system develops over the Great Basin in Utah and Nevada

The Santa Ana winds are dry, powerful winds that blow down the mountains toward the Southern California coast. The region sees about 10 Santa Ana wind events a year on average, typically occurring from fall into January. When conditions are dry, as they are right now, these winds can become a severe fire hazard.

Offshore Santa Ana winds will continue to diminish on Thursday. The winds fueling fires in Southern California are beginning to relax, but the forecast calls for their return next week.

Katabatic winds? Adiabatic compression? Time for a thermodynamics lesson! The record lack of rain has also made this Santa Ana event different.

Santa Ana winds return to Southern California from Monday to Tuesday, once again raising fire danger concerns.

Satellite imagery has captured smoke billowing from wildfires south of the border, fueled by similar conditions to the devastating blazes in Los Angeles.

The Hughes Fire near Castaic, California, has burned over 5,000 acres, prompting evacuations and school closures.

The destruction in parts of Altadena, a few miles to the west of Sierra Madre, and Pacific Palisades, which had burned in a separate fire on the other side of Los Angeles, made these areas appear bombed out.