Originally Posted by
jb2001
The strong winds impacting Southern California did have some impacts to flights - last night a relative was flying PHX - ONT for a 10:24 pm arrival and did not attempt landing due to the heavy winds. Was told that they could not divert to SNA or LAX - and the flight returned to PHX. Flight resumed around 4:30 AM and landed, with winds still heavy.
When the Santa Ana wind hit ONT (coming strongly out of the northeast), it creates strong crosswind issue for aircraft landing on 08R/08L (headed roughly east, 080). If crosswinds exceed max limits (dependent on aircraft type) the aircraft go around and often divert, not unlike this guy:
The issue currently affecting BUR potentially at the moment isn't so much crosswinds (they also have a runway 08) but the visibility being reduced due to the smoke. Flights into BUR from just anywhere usually come on the LYNXX arrival, with the LYNXX intersection being about 18nm north of Van Nuys (VNY). Once overflying VNY, the aircraft turn left and they're pretty much lined up for BUR's runway 8. From the Bay area, the WEESL arrival funnels arriving traffic to that same LYNXX intersection.
http://155.178.201.160/d-tpp/1713/00067LYNXX.PDF
http://155.178.201.160/d-tpp/1713/00067WEESL.PDF