SACRAMENTO, Calif — The Sacramento Valley and surrounding areas have been put under a Red Flag Warning, according to the National Weather Service. The warning is in place due to the high winds and dry weather, which increases the region's risk of fires.
Dangerous fire weather kicked off late Saturday night as winds increased through Sunday morning. The Red Flag Warning is expected to last until Monday afternoon.
Winds will be around 15-20 mph with gusts in the valley around 35 mph. The high Sierra and coastal range can expect gusts as high as 50 mph.
Winds out of the north and northeast may also cause air quality to diminish to "unhealthy for sensitive groups" in the valley.
A robust high-pressure system has been strengthening since last week and is now creating a high ridge into Canada. This system will continue to bring warmer temperatures, clear skies, and dry weather throughout the week.
Due to the strong high-pressure system, strong winds will be coming out of the north-northeast. The combination of strong winds and dry relative humidity is cause for concern with rapid fire spread. The winds are expected to slow down by Monday night. That's also when the red flag warning is set to expire. Power shutoffs have been issued since Saturday for many foothill counties and may continue into Sunday.
Winds are a significant factor in fire danger, and wind events will vary from the valley to the coastal range and into the Sierra. A wind advisory will expire the soonest beginning around Sunday at 8:00 pm for Colusa, Placer, Sutter, Yuba, and Sacramento counties. The wind advisory further north in Butte, Lassen, Plumas, and Tehama county will remain in effect until Monday at 2:00 pm.
Meanwhile, a heat advisory is in effect for the Bay Area through Monday at 7:00 pm. Temperatures are expected to be about 5-10 degrees above average.
This year has already seen 4 of the top 5 most massive wildfires in California state history. The fire season typically begins in the fall. In the past few years, the largest fires have been produced in July and August.
