Red flag warning issued for parts of Northern California ahead of windy forecast
The Sacramento Valley, from Redding to Sacramento, will see heightened fire danger Sunday and Monday with the National Weather Service issuing a red flag warning for a majority of Northern California’s low-lying areas.
The combination of strong winds and dry conditions through the weekend will lead to the potential for severe fire conditions, meaning blazes could grow swiftly, the weather service said.
High winds will spread from the north through the region to the Delta, forecasters cautioned. The northerly gusts will continue for much of Monday. Winds will blow from the north at 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.
Humidity also is expected to be very low, ranging from 12 to 20 percent during the day, with moderate overnight recoveries, forecasters said.
The red flag warning was issued for wide swaths of Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Sacramento, Shasta, Solano, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo and Yuba. Those areas included portions of Mendicino, Shasta and Trinity national forests, northern Sierra foothills below 3,000 feet and most Valley locations below 1,000 feet. The foothills of Placer and El Dorado above 1,000 feet were not included in the warning.
“Outdoor burning is not recommended,” the weather service said.
The alert will be in effect from 2 p.m. Sunday to 8 p.m. Monday. However, winds in the Sacramento area were already increasing on Saturday afternoon, with Sacramento International Airport observing sustained winds of 10-15 mph with strong gusts.
An additional red flag warning was issued until 11 p.m. Sunday for the eastern slopes of the Sierra including Alpine and Mono County and neighboring counties in Nevada.
Due to this weekend’s high winds, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District also issued an air quality warning for San Joaquin and Stanislaus county, as well as valley locations south. Exposure to particles may lead to serious health problems, the alert said. Officials cautioned residents of Stockton, Modesto and other Central Valley areas to stay indoors when possible and to avoid strenuous outdoor activities.
The capital region’s Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District was not issuing an alert, according to its website, but did say air quality would be in the moderate range.
The weather service also warned of high winds and rough waters in the Lake Tahoe area. Officials said small boats and kayaks could easily capsize and should stay out of the water.