Major Santa Ana winds expected to continue to worsen Southern California fires

The weather in Southern California continues to wreak havoc on fire officials trying to stymie the growing flames.

On Tuesday, winds gusted to 80 mph in parts of Southern California, producing major Santa Ana winds. These could be the worst Santa Ana winds in December in Southern California since 2002.

Southern California is having one of the driest starts to its wet season on record. The wet season starts around Oct. 1.

There are red flag and high wind warnings from Ventura to Los Angeles, San Diego and all the way to the U.S.-Mexico border.

Gusty winds are in the forecast for Southern California on Wednesday, but they won't be as strong as they were yesterday. Some gusts near 30 mph are possible Wednesday.

More major Santa Ana winds are forecast for Thursday, with gusts as high as 70 mph in the mountains.

Cold and snow head east

Cold air is moving into the Great Lakes and the Northeast on Wednesday morning, with heavy lake effect snow.

It will be very cold in the eastern U.S. on Thursday morning, with wind chills below zero in the Midwest and in the teens and 20s in the Northeast.

Lake effect snow is ongoing this morning, and we have winter storm warnings and lake effect snow warnings from Wisconsin to New York. There will be gusty winds in part of New England near 40 mph.

Some areas near the Great Lakes, from Michigan to western New York, could see more than a foot of lake effect snow.