Well blow me down

High, gusty winds battered inland areas of Orange County on Wednesday, as unusually high pressure in the deserts of California and Nevada forced wind through the Santa Ana Mountains and toward the coast. Gusts in some inland canyon areas reached 70 mph, though in Newport Beach and Huntington Beach, winds stayed a milder 20 to 30 mph.

Though the wind blew weaker on the coast, it was strong enough in Corona del Mar to knock a 50-foot tree into a house on Larkspur Avenue, a spokeswoman for the Newport Beach Fire Department said.

A spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol in Newport Beach said winds were not strong enough on the water to be a danger, and he had heard of no capsized boats Wednesday.

The National Weather Service has put a high-wind advisory for Orange County into effect until 6 p.m. today. Offshore winds will continue in weaker form throughout the weekend, weather service meteorologist Steve Vanderburg said.

Those sheltered from the wind may have a different headache to contend with, Vanderburg said. Temperatures in calmer areas will be low enough that there is a frost advisory for the county as well.