Hazy skies, ash envelop Newport-Mesa

June Casagrande

Red skies, falling ash and a blanket of darkness cloaked a forecasted

sunny day into a dark gloom across Newport-Mesa Saturday with more of

the same expected today.

Strong Santa Ana winds at multiple fires in San Bernardino and

Riverside counties and elsewhere sent smoke and ash creating a cover

over much of Orange County.

“Strong winds are on the ground near the fire. But they’re above

Orange County at about 2,000 feet,” said Ivory Small, a meteorologist

with the National Weather Service. “The ash is falling out of that

strong jet of air above into lower parts where we’re not feeling the

wind.”

But that is expected to change today. Santa Ana gusts will reach

ground level in Newport-Mesa today as winds from several fires in

Southern California continue to push smoke and ash to the southwest.

A dark canopy from the fires’ fallout is expected to loom in the sky

today even as conditions are windy at ground level.

“If it weren’t for the fire it would have been just like

(Friday),” Small said. “It would have been mostly sunny and clear

this weekend in the inland areas with some smog along the coast.”

Throughout Newport-Mesa, reported thin layers of white ash

blanketed cars and lawns as larger ash flakes were visible falling

from the sky.

“It’s dark in my house and I can literally see the ashes falling,”

said June McKinzie, a Costa Mesa resident. “It’s very strange.”

The skies red and yellow appearance in some areas is caused by the

way light from the sun is scattered through the ash and smoke, not

from the glow of nearby flames, officials said.

Beach goers who came out in the morning to enjoy the sunny skies

that had been forecast packed it in and headed home.

“The day started off with a lot of people coming out but then it

tapered off,” Newport Beach Lifeguard Arn Van Dyke said. “Everyone

got kind of tired of the weather.”

Despite the visible silt and smoke, air quality in Orange County

did not reach unhealthful levels on Saturday and is not expected to

qualify as unhealthful today, according to South Coast Air Quality

Management District.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport. She

may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

june.casagrande@latimes.com.