Wind, wind, go away
It has been one of those days when driving required both hands and tumble weeds kept getting in the way. Our deputy photo editor Jeff Malet caught this one jumping over a freeway wall near the 15 and 60 interchangeThe Santa Ana winds brought plenty of debris out on the streets but they didn't keep too many people from staying home. Shoppers at Victoria Gardens were more interested in the Columbus Day sale than getting their hair messed up. I felt sorry for the guy who had to rake up the wayward leaves. As soon as he dumped them into the trash can, they blew back out.
Driving back to our Ontario newsroom, I noticed that the winds weren't kind to the political signs. A David Dreier sign was ripped in half. "Dre for congress," it read.
While surfing on the Internet, I found City Data, which cited two category 2 tornadoes in Rancho. One was in 1982 and another in 1966. A category 2 is between 113 to 157 mph. Today's winds were just half as fast.
Read on to find out what's in store tomorrow.
By Wendy Leung
Every October, the Santa Ana winds bear down on Southern California along with pumpkin and costume sales.
But despite meteorologists' warnings and years of experience, we still get surprised by the blustery conditions and forget to clutch our belongings a little tighter when we step outside. We forget that putting in contact lenses and combing hair aren't good ideas. We forget that just because things are calm in Ontario and Upland doesn't mean anything once you get to Rancho Cucamonga or Fontana.
Jose Aviles of Ontario calls the area near the L.A./Ontario International Airport the "windy corridor." He didn't mind crossing it into Victoria Gardens with his daughter and 1-year-old grandson on Monday.
"It's his first windy day," Aviles said.
The winds will continue the rest of today and get fairly strong tonight, averaging 30 to 60 mph with gusts up to 80 mph, said Ken Clark, meteorologist for Accuweather. ONT saw gusts reaching 60 mph on Tuesday.
By Wednesday, the winds will die down but temperatures will start to climb, reaching the 90s on Thursday.
They are conditions deemed tame compared to years past.
Winds haven't been lenient to Los Osos High School, which is located atop Milliken Avenue. Principal Chris Hollister said the chain link fence surrounding a tennis court once blew over and a storage container used to house sporting equipment got picked up by the winds and ended up sitting on a wall. During the biggest storms, parked cars at the school got moved around.
On Monday, however, Los Osos High School students took it in stride and ate lunch indoors. Staff members went around the bleachers to make sure they were all bolted down.
Compared to other Santa Ana winds, this week's was mild through the Inland Valley. But because it was the year's first, there were plenty of debris on the road. Political signs, abandoned shopping carts and young trees all took turns falling over.
It didn't deter shoppers who had an eye for Columbus Day bargains, however.
Rancho Cucamonga residents Barbara Foote-Cortez and Chris Roski actually enjoyed getting their hair tussled by the winds walking through Victoria Gardens.
"When the Santa Anas are really blowing, you stay home," Roski said. "But this is mild. This cleanses the air."
Every October, the Santa Ana winds bear down on Southern California along with pumpkin and costume sales.
But despite meteorologists' warnings and years of experience, we still get surprised by the blustery conditions and forget to clutch our belongings a little tighter when we step outside. We forget that putting in contact lenses and combing hair aren't good ideas. We forget that just because things are calm in Ontario and Upland doesn't mean anything once you get to Rancho Cucamonga or Fontana.
Jose Aviles of Ontario calls the area near the L.A./Ontario International Airport the "windy corridor." He didn't mind crossing it into Victoria Gardens with his daughter and 1-year-old grandson on Monday.
"It's his first windy day," Aviles said.
The winds will continue the rest of today and get fairly strong tonight, averaging 30 to 60 mph with gusts up to 80 mph, said Ken Clark, meteorologist for Accuweather. ONT saw gusts reaching 60 mph on Tuesday.
By Wednesday, the winds will die down but temperatures will start to climb, reaching the 90s on Thursday.
They are conditions deemed tame compared to years past.
Winds haven't been lenient to Los Osos High School, which is located atop Milliken Avenue. Principal Chris Hollister said the chain link fence surrounding a tennis court once blew over and a storage container used to house sporting equipment got picked up by the winds and ended up sitting on a wall. During the biggest storms, parked cars at the school got moved around.
On Monday, however, Los Osos High School students took it in stride and ate lunch indoors. Staff members went around the bleachers to make sure they were all bolted down.
Compared to other Santa Ana winds, this week's was mild through the Inland Valley. But because it was the year's first, there were plenty of debris on the road. Political signs, abandoned shopping carts and young trees all took turns falling over.
It didn't deter shoppers who had an eye for Columbus Day bargains, however.
Rancho Cucamonga residents Barbara Foote-Cortez and Chris Roski actually enjoyed getting their hair tussled by the winds walking through Victoria Gardens.
"When the Santa Anas are really blowing, you stay home," Roski said. "But this is mild. This cleanses the air."
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