California's Power Switch: A Windy Weekend Ahead

A big change happened in California recently. A major utility company turned off the power in 12 counties due to strong winds that can cause wildfires. This wind, known as the "diablo wind," is really dry and hot, making it easy for fires to start. About 13,000 customers woke up without electricity on Friday, and more may lose power soon. The winds are expected to be strong, up to 65 mph (104 kph) in some places. They'll last until part of the weekend, so people need to be careful. The utility started turning off power on Thursday night.

These winds are common in the fall because the air gets very dry. This makes plants easy to burn. The name "diablo" means "devil" in Spanish. It's called that because it's a hot wind that blows from the inside of California towards the coast. In Southern California, another type of wind called the Santa Ana winds is expected. These winds blow from the inside towards the coast too, but in the opposite direction of usual winds. They also bring a risk of fires. In Los Angeles, the winds won't be as strong, but the risk of fires is still there. Snow is expected in the mountains around Lake Tahoe, with winds up to 70 mph (113 kph). It's also going to be really cold, with temperatures dipping to the low 20s Fahrenheit (-5 Celsius). This could damage crops and outdoor plumbing.

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