More high winds batter SoCal, but expected to die down Friday

More strong winds whipped across the Southland Friday morning but were expected to die down later in the day.

The strongest winds will buffet the Santa Monica and San Gabriel mountains -- especially the Interstate 5 corridor near The Grapevine -- the Antelope Valley, and areas of Santa Barbara County, according to a National Weather Service statement. Damaging 60-mile-per-hour wind gusts are likely in those areas, it said.

Additionally, strong winds will continue to batter coastal and valley areas, and gusts of between 40 and 55 mph will be common, threatening to down trees and power poles, it said.

A wind advisory signifying 35-mph winds will be in effect until noon in L.A. County beach cities, metropolitan L.A., the Hollywood Hills, and the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys.

Earlier -- at 3 a.m. -- wind advisories and more serious high-wind warnings expired in the Santa Monica and San Gabriel mountains, the Antelope and San Gabriel valleys and Santa Catalina Island.

Along the coast, a high surf advisory was due to expire at 8 a.m.

The NWS forecast sunny skies in L.A. County today, along with highs of 65 on Mount Wilson; 69 i Palmdale and Lancaster; 71 in Avalon; 73 at LAX; 74 in Saugus; 78 in Downtown L.A. and San Gabriel; 79 Long Beach, Pasadena and Burbank; and 82 in Woodland Hills. Sunny skies were also forecast in Orange County, along with highs of 70 in Laguna Beach and San Clemente; 80 in Anaheim; 81 in Irvine and Yorba Linda; 82 in Fullerton; and 83 in Mission Viejo. Temperatures will rise by several degrees Saturday, then begin a cooling trend Sunday.

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