CALIFORNIA, USA — Northern California will undergo a quick series of changes the rest of this week from cooling, to clouds and rain to fire weather dominating the end of the week as well as part of the weekend.
Thursday temperatures will be mild in the 70s with a chance of afternoon showers in the Sierra. Thursday night we could even see a dusting of snow to about 7500 feet before wind takes over.
The big story is the strong winds following behind the cool front. They begin in the afternoon on Thursday mostly north of Sacramento.
Wind speeds and gusts will vary by location and time but in general, the Valley will see gusts up to 35 mph late Thursday and into Friday. The Sierra will have strong easterly winds later on Thursday and part of Friday.
This time of year the vegetation is very dry and we have not seen a larger storm with soaking rain. When the wind kicks in, often out of the north it can dry out and create critical fire conditions. Many people assume that you need hot weather to create fire conditions but that is not entirely true. If the fuels are dry, and the wind is strong and dry fire will grow quickly and you can see Red Flag Warnings in the fall when the weather aligns.
The wind will be strong enough to cause issues along with blowing around Halloween decorations to tricky crosswinds driving east or west along with leaf and limb debris. We also could see tree limbs fall in the wind.
To prevent more potential fire ignitions related to wind, power companies have the authority to shut off power and lines during peak windy conditions to minimize the risk. PG&E has issued early warnings for potential public safety power shutoffs from Thursday to Saturday. Friday looks to be the day with the strongest winds up to 60 mph in the coastal range areas as well as the Sierra. They have warned that up to 30 counties in California could see areas with PSPS cut power. You are encouraged to enter your address on their website to see if you may be affected in the coming days.
The winds subside by Saturday night and we will have nice sunny conditions with lighter winds by Sunday. Temperatures will be lower on Wednesday in the 70s but rise to about 80 by Sunday.
Watch more on ABC10 | Extended Weather | Possible Power Shutoffs with Fire Danger Ahead
