Wildfire Risk Continues To Grow Across California | WeatherBug
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Wildfire Risk Continues To Grow Across California

October 24, 2019
UPDATED By WeatherBug's Erik Gates
Parts of California will be under extreme fire weather conditions today as large-scale blackouts loom.

The Santa Ana Winds will result in extreme fire weather conditions in southern-coastal California today. High pressure over the Great Basin will produce these strong northeasterly winds, which flow downhill from the southern Sierra Nevada toward the coast. North-central California will again see an elevated fire weather threat due to offshore winds known as Diablo Winds.

Diablo Winds are like Santa Ana winds, except they form in a different location. The northeasterly winds flow over the mountain ranges in north-central California toward the coastline, bringing in extremely dry air. These two types of offshore winds will team up to keep the cool influence of the Pacific Ocean away from the coast, allowing very warm temperatures to make it well westward 

Very low relative humidity values and high temperatures soaring into the 80s are expected throughout north-central and southern California. North-central California will see winds from 15 to 30 mph with gusts from 35 to 45 mph, while the southern portion of the state could see sustained winds up to 25 to 35 mph with gusts up 60 mph. Wind prone areas like passes and canyons may experience gusts as high as 75 mph. 

This combination of dry heat and gusty winds has prompted Red Flag Warnings for the North Bay and East Bay areas near San Francisco as well as California’s Sacramento Valley. Additional Red Flag Warnings and High Wind Warnings are in effect for parts of the Los Angeles Basin for critical fire weather conditions.

Southern California Edison plans to cut power to more than 308,000 customers in seven counties while Pacific Gas & Electric is threatening to sever electricity to nearly 200,000 customers in north-central California in order to try and prevent electrical-based wildfires. This potential blackout comes less than two weeks after power was shut off to more than 2 million people for up to five days.

This is a dangerous event, but this is rather typical for Autumn in north-central California. High pressure systems forming over the Great Basin and a lack of rain from the long dry season prime Autumn for elevated fire weather conditions.