A Red Flag Warning has been issued in the San Francisco Bay Area which raises the chances that a fire could start Sunday evening and into Monday. Impacts include gusty winds, lightning, and possibly new fire starts even with the potential for rain.
Here is the warning issued by the National Weather Service.
.A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM NEAR THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA COAST WILL PRODUCE THUNDERSTORM CHANCES ACROSS MOST OF THE DISTRICT BEGINNING LATE TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT AND THEN GRADUALLY END FROM SOUTH TO NORTH BEGINNING ON TUESDAY. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF THE DISTRICT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT AND POSSIBLY INTO WEDNESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS MAY INITIALLY PRODUCE DRY LIGHTNING. STORMS ARE FORECAST TO BECOME WETTER OVER TIME…
HOWEVER DUE TO THE FACT THAT FUELS ARE VERY DRY…FIRE STARTS ARE POSSIBLE EVEN WITH STORMS THAT PRODUCE RAIN.
CAZ506-507-510>512-190400-
/O.UPG.KMTR.FW.A.0002.130819T0600Z-130821T1000Z/
/O.NEW.KMTR.FW.W.0003.130819T0700Z-130821T1000Z/
NORTH BAY INTERIOR VALLEYS-NORTH BAY MOUNTAINS-EAST BAY INTERIOR VALLEYS-EAST BAY HILLS AND DIABLO RANGE-SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS-502 AM PDT SUN AUG 18 2013
…RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 3 AM PDT
WEDNESDAY FOR THUNDERSTORMS. THE RED FLAG WARNING COVERS MOST INLAND PORTIONS OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 3 AM PDT WEDNESDAY.
* AFFECTED AREA: ALL INLAND AREAS OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA EXCEPT NEAR SAN FRANCISCO BAY AND THE SANTA CLARA VALLEY.
* TIMING: SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL BEGIN BY LATE SUNDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST TUESDAY NIGHT…POSSIBLY INTO WEDNESDAY AS WELL.
* THUNDERSTORMS: GUSTY WINDS AND LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE PERIOD. THUNDERSTORMS MAY INITIALLY BE DRY BUT SHOULD BECOME WETTER WITH TIME. STRONGER STORMS MAY PRODUCE ABUNDANT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL.
* OUTFLOW WINDS: SPEEDS TO 25 MPH ARE POSSIBLE NEAR THUNDERSTORMS.
* IMPACTS: DRY FUELS ALONG WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR ABUNDANT LIGHTNING MAY RESULT IN NEW FIRE STARTS EVEN WITH STORMS
THAT ARE WET.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW…OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF DRY FUELS AND LIGHTNING STRIKES COULD RESULT IN NUMEROUS FIRE STARTS.
