Red flag wildfire danger for Northern California; map shows 70% of state in ‘extreme’ drought
Weather officials and fire personnel are bracing for another weekend of high fire risk, with gusty winds again forecast to coincide with hot and dry conditions.
The National Weather Service issued red flag warning for the Sacramento Valley and northern San Joaquin Valley, in effect Friday night through Monday evening. The region will see sustained winds from 10 mph to 20 mph, with gusts up to 35 mph possible in some areas. Near the capital, gusts are expected to reach about 30 mph Saturday and 25 mph on Sunday.
“Widespread gusty north to northeast winds, low humidity and unseasonably dry fuels will result in critical fire weather conditions over portions of the Central Valley, Delta and surrounding foothills below 2,000 feet,” the weather service said in its advisory around noon. “The strongest winds are expected along the west side of the Sacramento Valley and through favorably oriented gaps and canyons in the surrounding foothills.”
Meanwhile, highs in Sacramento are forecast to range from 87 to 91 degrees Saturday through Monday. Tuesday is expected to hit 94 degrees.
Fire and weather officials have warned for months that conditions are prime for another devastating wildfire season this year.
“Not all aspects of coming fire season are predictable. Last year’s dry lightning event was not foreseeable months in advance,” UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain tweeted Thursday. “But severe and still-worsening drought and extremely dry vegetation — plus strong expectation of hotter-than-average summer — are deeply concerning.”
With summer still weeks away, Cal Fire shared an infographic Wednesday showing that 13,604 acres have already burned on state and federal land this year, compared to 1,726 by the same point last year. The 2020 wildfire season was by far the worst in modern California history in terms of acres burned, with over 4.2 million acres scorched.
Most of California in ‘extreme’ drought, federal monitor shows
A troubling update to the U.S. Drought Monitor this week shows that nearly three-quarters of California by land area is in “extreme” drought conditions or worse, including the entire Sacramento Valley and Bay Area.
The monitor shows 98% of California is in at least “moderate” drought, 93% in “severe” drought, 73% in “extreme” drought and 5% in “exceptional” drought conditions. The entirety of the state is at least “abnormally dry.”
The extreme category is up from 53% just a week earlier, and from just 4% this time last year.
California’s dire water situation is reflected in well-below average snowpack totals in the Sierra Nevada, and reservoirs much below their normal levels.
Only Gov. Gavin Newsom has the power to official declare California to be in a drought. Newsom did declare a drought emergency last month, but only for Sonoma and Mendocino counties.
This story was originally published May 7, 2021 at 8:23 AM.
