Fire Weather Watch Issued for Northern California as Gusty Winds Raise Wildfire Risk

A fire weather watch has been issued for parts of Northern California ahead of a weekend weather pattern expected to bring gusty winds and low humidity, increasing the potential for rapid wildfire spread. The National Weather Service offices in Sacramento and Reno issued the alerts for Saturday and Sunday, while utilities warned that power shutoffs could be needed in some areas.

The National Weather Service Sacramento forecast calls for the fire weather watch to run from 11 a.m. PDT Saturday through 11 a.m. Monday in portions of the Sacramento Valley and northern foothills. Forecast conditions include wind gusts of 20 to 35 mph and relative humidity levels between 10% and 25%.

The combination of strong winds and dry conditions could cause any fires that develop to spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended while the warning is in effect.

Winds Shift Through the Weekend

YubaNet reported that periods of gusty winds are expected along with low daytime humidity and limited overnight recovery. Winds are forecast to come from the south to southwest Saturday before shifting toward the north and northeast from Saturday night into Monday.

The weather threat extends across portions of the northern Sacramento Valley, foothills and Sierra areas. The affected areas include portions of Shasta, Tehama, Glenn, Colusa, Butte, Sutter, Yuba, Nevada and Placer counties.

Potential Power Shutoffs

The heightened fire danger is also prompting utilities to prepare for possible Public Safety Power Shutoffs, or PSPS events.

PG&E has issued potential PSPS warnings for portions of the valley and higher elevations of the Sierra. A potential shutoff is also being considered along the Interstate 80 corridor between Emigrant Gap and Donner State Memorial Park in Nevada and Placer counties.

Liberty Energy has also indicated that it may implement a PSPS affecting customers in areas including Verdi, Floriston, Markleeville, Woodfords, Hope Valley, Topaz, Coleville and Walker.

Residents Urged to Prepare

Residents in areas that could experience outages are being advised to charge electronic devices, check flashlight and radio batteries, secure outdoor furniture and keep repair supplies available. Officials also recommend monitoring local weather alerts as conditions develop.

Anyone who encounters a downed power line should stay away and treat it as energized. During an outage, battery-powered flashlights are recommended instead of candles because of the fire risk.

The National Weather Service notes that a fire weather watch means critical fire-weather conditions are forecast and that additional warnings, including possible Red Flag Warnings, may follow as the situation develops.