Weather will pose a danger to Bay Area residents starting today with a higher risk for rip currents at beaches and increased wildfire risk starting Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
Heat, low humidity and higher winds, especially in higher terrain, will raise the risk for wildfires as the area recovers from an earlier than expected fire season.
A fire weather watch goes into effect at 11 a.m. Saturday for the North Bay mountains and East Bay hills.
“Those areas are usually the most vulnerable,” said Gerry Diaz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
That’s because higher winds are expected in those areas, he said, along with poor humidity recovery overnight.
In the highest peaks, 50 mph gusts are possible along with temperatures in the 90s to 100.
Hundreds of thousands of acres have burned already this year in and around the Bay Area. Winds help to spread fires, and contributing to the increased risk for fires will be the poor overnight humidity recoveries, which means the vegetation will be drier.
“Dry and hot,” Diaz said. “That set’s up a dangerous situation where all it takes is one spark to get things going.”
Inland Bay Area locations will see temperatures rise 15 to 20 degrees relative to the recent milder weather. Coastal areas will see temperatures rise 10 to 15 degrees.
8 comments
Protestors are by far the biggest danger why aren’t they mentioned?
Close Mt.Diablo State Park during these times of extraordinary fire danger. Hikers, bikers, and other outdoor types will, of course, howl, because their enjoyment of the facilities is being curtailed, and I’m one of the outdoor types off which I speak, but being without those facilities for a weekend far outweighs being without them for months, after a disastrous fire. Shut ’em down.
Yeah because we all know those darn hikers kick up sparks with their shoes hiking the trails and those bikers put out sparks when using their breaks…
Give me a break Karen… You don’t know what you are talking about.
Remind and incite some of the dumber firebugs.
I smell fire. North Concord. 5:35 pm Friday.
… and its gone. False alarm. It didn’t smell like barbecue, but I am glad I am wrong. I have been enjoying the blue sky for the last day and a half.
Have a happy weekend.
I was (electric) blowing off my deck today, mostly pine needles, and the dust smelled like smoke.
Stay hydrated and remember that bumper sticker,
Save Water fight forest fires with Delta smelt
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