Santa Ana winds this weekend: gusts up to 80 km/h in Tijuana’s hills, and Sunday could reach 31°C

Tijuana is under Santa Ana conditions from Friday until Sunday morning, Nov. 8, according to the city’s Dirección Municipal de Protección Civil, as reported by El Imparcial. The office expects gusts of 40 to 56 km/h (about 25 to 35 mph) in the lower parts of the city, including Zona Centro, Zona Río, Playas and Otay, and 56 to 80 km/h (about 35 to 50 mph) in the hills and canyons. The same report quotes the city government with a lower figure, gusts of up to 50 km/h, without explaining the difference.

The dry wind comes with warm weather. Mexico’s weather service (SMN) forecast a clear Sunday with a high of about 31.5°C (89°F) and a low near 19°C, La Silla Rota reported, and Tijuana en Línea’s forecast had Saturday at about 28°C. On the other side of the border, the National Weather Service’s San Diego office expected gusts of 25 to 40 mph in passes, canyons and coastal slopes of San Diego and neighboring counties, humidity as low as 10 to 20% in some valleys and a Sunday high near 89°F in San Diego, according to Infobae.

Mayor Ismael Burgueño Ruiz asked residents not to burn trash or light bonfires. Civil protection’s advice: tie down or put away tarps, metal sheets, bins, flowerpots and signs; stay away from trees, poles, power lines and billboards; and drive carefully on the Tijuana–Tecate highway and La Rumorosa, especially in tall vehicles or with a trailer.

If you’re out this weekend

• Outdoor plans: the free Festival Gastronómico on Avenida Revolución runs Saturday and Sunday, so bring water and sunscreen.
• Dust and dry air: civil protection asks people to keep children, older adults and pets protected from it.
• Driving east: expect crosswinds on the Tijuana–Tecate road and La Rumorosa.
• Before the rainy season: the city is urging residents to check its Atlas Municipal de Riesgos, which maps landslide, fault and flood zones by colonia; its 2024 update was approved by the council in January 2025.

Rain may not be far behind: Infobae reported that an atmospheric river could bring rain to Southern California around Nov. 13–14, though the details are still uncertain. Our last Santa Ana report was in mid-October, and the weekend’s plans are on the calendar.