The winds are common in California in the colder months, but they can sometimes help spread dangerous wildfires.

Santa Ana winds in Southern California are often-fierce winds that topple power lines and trees and can turn a spark into a raging wildfire.

San Diego Gas & Electric said on Tuesday it's been watching the weather for the past week, and their guard is going to be up until the end of this one.

Firefighters scrambled to corral a fast-moving wildfire in the Los Angeles hillsides dotted with celebrity homes as a "life-threatening, destructive" windstorm hit Southern California, fanning the blaze seen for miles while roads were clogged with cars as residents tried to flee.

As the South prepped for snow and more cold starting Wednesday, residents in Southern California faced off with hurricane-strength winds.

High-speed winds this week have the potential to knock over semitrucks and cause other hazardous driving situations. Here's what to know.

The potentially hazardous conditions are expected Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, according to the NWS.

A rapidly spreading wildfire threatened homes and forced thousands to evacuate in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. Driven by powerful Santa Ana winds, the fire was one of several that broke out in the region.

The nature of the Santa Ana winds makes them perfectly suited to spreading flames. The destructive Palisades Fire is the latest example