FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE: RED FLAG WARNING SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA #CaFire #CaWX #CaRedFlags #DiabloWinds

RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 3 PM PDT FRIDAY SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA OFFSHORE WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES

Update: Effective 1800, North Ops will be moving to Preparedness Level 1.
09/25/2013 1000

The National Weather Service - San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento have changed the posted Fire Weather Watches to Red Flag Warnings for gusty north winds and low humidity. Warnings are in place for late tonight and lasting into mid afternoon on Friday.

http://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=sto&wwa=red flag warning

Strong, dry winds are expected across San Francisco Bay Area.

Wind gusts of 35 to 40 mph are expected across Coastal sections of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. 

Wind gusts of 45 to 50 mph are expected in the mountains of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties and the Antelope Valley.

Wind advisories are in effect until 2200 tonight.

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
915 AM PDT WED SEP 25 2013

.STRONG AND GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP TONIGHT ACROSS THE
NORTH AND EAST BAY HILLS. THESE STRONG WINDS WILL THEN GRADUALLY
SHIFT SOUTHWARD INTO THE SANTA CRUZ...SAN BENITO AND MONTEREY
COUNTY HILLS BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL
START OUT HIGH BUT RAPIDLY DECREASE THROUGH THE DAY THURSDAY AND
INTO FRIDAY AS OFFSHORE FLOW PERSISTS AND TEMPERATURES INCREASE.
RAINFALL OVER THIS PAST WEEKEND TEMPORARILY MOISTENED THE FUEL BED
ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. HOWEVER...LARGER FUELS REMAIN VERY DRY
AFTER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF DRY WEATHER. LIGHTER FUELS WILL
RAPIDLY DRY OUT AS WINDS INCREASE AND HUMIDITY VALUES FALL THROUGH
FRIDAY AND INTO THE WEEKEND.

CAZ507-511-260400-
/O.UPG.KMTR.FW.A.0003.130926T0600Z-130927T2200Z/
/O.NEW.KMTR.FW.W.0004.130926T0600Z-130927T2200Z/
NORTH BAY MOUNTAINS-EAST BAY HILLS AND DIABLO RANGE-
915 AM PDT WED SEP 25 2013

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 3 PM PDT
FRIDAY FOR GUSTY NORTH WINDS AND LOWERING HUMIDITY VALUES..

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HAS ISSUED A
RED FLAG WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO
3 PM PDT FRIDAY. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* AFFECTED AREA: FIRE ZONE 507 NORTH BAY MOUNTAINS...FIRE ZONE 511
  EAST BAY HILLS AND DIABLO RANGE. THIS INCLUDES ALL HILLS IN THE
  NORTH AND EAST BAY ABOVE 1000 FEET INCLUDING MOUNT
  TAMALPAIS...MOUNT DIABLO AND MOUNT SAINT HELENA.

* TIMING: STRONG WINDS WILL DEVELOP AROUND 11 PM TONIGHT AND LAST
  INTO THURSDAY MORNING. WINDS WILL INCREASE AGAIN THURSDAY NIGHT
  INTO EARLY FRIDAY.

* WIND: NORTHERLY WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH WITH FREQUENT GUSTS 35 TO 45
  MPH OVER THE HIGHEST PEAKS OF NAPA COUNTY AS WELL AS MOUNT SAINT
  HELENA AND MOUNT DIABLO. STRONGEST WINDS EXPECTED FROM LATE
  TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING AND THEN AGAIN LATE THURSDAY
  EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.

* HUMIDITY: INITIALLY MOIST VALUES AROUND 50-60% TONIGHT WILL LOWER
  TO 30-40% BY THURSDAY MORNING...THEN CONTINUE TO DRY OUT TO LESS
  THAN 30% FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY WITH NO
  OVERNIGHT HUMIDITY RECOVERY EXPECTED THURSDAY NIGHT.

* IMPACTS: ANY NEW IGNITIONS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE
  WIND DRIVEN FIRE BEHAVIOR TONIGHT INTO EARLY THURSDAY. WARMING
  AND DRYING ALONG WITH PERSISTENT OFFSHORE FLOW WILL MAKE
  SUPPRESSION DIFFICULT. SIMILAR WEATHER EVENTS IN THE PAST HAVE
  BROUGHT DOWN POWER LINES AND OTHER IGNITION SOURCES THAT HAVE
  STARTED NEW FIRES. EXTRA CARE WITH IGNITION SOURCES IS URGED.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS..

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF
STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES CAN
CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
915 AM PDT WED SEP 25 2013

.STRONG AND GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP TONIGHT ACROSS THE
NORTH AND EAST BAY HILLS. THESE STRONG WINDS WILL THEN GRADUALLY
SHIFT SOUTHWARD INTO THE SANTA CRUZ...SAN BENITO AND MONTEREY
COUNTY HILLS BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL
START OUT HIGH BUT RAPIDLY DECREASE THROUGH THE DAY THURSDAY AND
INTO FRIDAY AS OFFSHORE FLOW PERSISTS AND TEMPERATURES INCREASE.
RAINFALL OVER THIS PAST WEEKEND TEMPORARILY MOISTENED THE FUEL BED
ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. HOWEVER...LARGER FUELS REMAIN VERY DRY
AFTER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF DRY WEATHER. LIGHTER FUELS WILL
RAPIDLY DRY OUT AS WINDS INCREASE AND HUMIDITY VALUES FALL THROUGH
FRIDAY AND INTO THE WEEKEND.

CAZ512-517-518-260400-
/O.UPG.KMTR.FW.A.0003.130926T2000Z-130927T2200Z/
/O.NEW.KMTR.FW.W.0004.130926T2000Z-130927T2200Z/
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS-
SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS AND LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST-
MOUNTAINS OF SAN BENITO AND INTERIOR MONTEREY COUNTY INCLUDING
PINNACLES NATIONAL PARK-
915 AM PDT WED SEP 25 2013

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THURSDAY TO 3 PM PDT
FRIDAY FOR GUSTY NORTH WINDS AND LOWERING HUMIDITY VALUES..

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HAS ISSUED A
RED FLAG WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THURSDAY TO 3 PM
PDT FRIDAY. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* AFFECTED AREA: FIRE ZONE 512 SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS...FIRE ZONE
  517 SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS AND LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST.. FIRE
  ZONE 518 MOUNTAINS OF SAN BENITO AND INTERIOR MONTEREY COUNTY
  INCLUDING PINNACLES NATIONAL PARK. THIS INCLUDES ALL HILLS ABOVE
  1000 FEET IN MONTEREY AND SAN BENITO COUNTY AS WELL AS THE SANTA
  CRUZ MOUNTAINS.

* TIMING: WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP BY EARLY THURSDAY
  AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION...STRONG AND GUSTY OFFSHORE WINDS WILL
  CONTINUE IN THE HILLS. NO HUMIDITY RECOVERY IS EXPECTED THURSDAY
  NIGHT. CONTINUED WARMING AND DRYING ALONG WITH PERSISTENT
  OFFSHORE WIND FLOW IS FORECAST THROUGH AT LEAST FRIDAY
  AFTERNOON.

* WIND: NORTHERLY WINDS 10 TO 20 MPH WITH FREQUENT GUSTS 25 TO
  35 MPH. STRONGEST WINDS OVER THE HILLS IN THE LOS PADRES
  NATIONAL FOREST AS WELL AS THE HIGHER RIDGES ABOVE 2500 FEET
  IN SANTA CRUZ AND SAN BENITO COUNTIES. STRONGEST WINDS ARE
  FORECAST TO OCCUR ON THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT WITH WINDS
  GRADUALLY EASING BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

* HUMIDITY: 20-30% THURSDAY AFTERNOON WITH LITTLE OR NO
  RECOVERY THURSDAY NIGHT. CONTINUED DRYING ON FRIDAY WITH
  WIDESPREAD HUMIDITY VALUES OF 10-20%.

* IMPACTS: MANY OF THE HILLS OF MONTEREY AND SAN BENITO COUNTY
  HAVE RECEIVED LITTLE OR NO RAINFALL THIS SEASON. RAPID FIRE
  GROWTH WILL BE LIKELY UNDER THIS WEATHER PATTERN. HUNTERS..
  CAMPERS AND OTHERS VISITING THE OUTDOORS AS WELL AS PRESCRIBED
  BURNERS SHOULD EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS..

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF
STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES CAN
CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.

&&

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CFN - California Fire News 2013 

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