Critical fire weather forecast for Northern California weekend is year’s first

Dangerous fire weather is forecast across the Sacramento Valley and capital region with gusty winds and low humidity projected Sunday and Monday.

National Weather Service forecasters in Sacramento Thursday issued a fire weather watch from 8 a.m. Sunday to 8 p.m. Monday across a wide swath of Northern California including Sacramento, Yolo, far western Placer County and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The watch stretches from Redding in the north to as far south as Turlock.

Forecasters anticipate winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph across the region and said the strongest winds were expected across the northern and central Sacramento Valley along and west of Interstate 5. Humidity is forecast at 15 to 25%.

That means areas including Red Bluff and Chico in the northern Sacramento Valley and mid-valley counties including Glenn, Colusa, Sutter and Yuba should feel the stiffest winds.

But the warning also extends to northern San Joaquin County, Solano County, and the Carquinez Strait.

It is the first fire weather watch of the season issued by the National Weather Service’s Sacramento office. A National Weather Service-issued fire weather watch means that critical fire weather conditions — the combination of gusty winds and low humidity — are forecast to occur. Fire can rapidly grow in size and intensity with the mix of strong winds and dry conditions.

Weather service forecasters are discouraging outdoor burning during those days.

Darrell Smith

The Sacramento Bee

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Darrell Smith is a local reporter for The Sacramento Bee. He joined The Bee in 2006 and previously worked at newspapers in Palm Springs, Colorado Springs and Marysville. Smith was born and raised at Beale Air Force Base and lives in Elk Grove.