Fire concern for north valley rises as winds gust
CHICO » Dangerous fire weather conditions are in effect Monday in the north state.
A wind advisory went into effect from late Sunday night through Monday afternoon, according to National Weather Service in Sacramento. Concern remains due to gusty north to east winds that are already being seen alongside above average high temperatures, which could continue through the middle of the week.
Sacramento meteorologist Sierra Littlefield said despite earlier precipitation in November, “some fuels are drying out already,” causing concern when humidity drops and the wind picks up. In the Sacramento Valley, north winds are expected to reach 1530 mph with gusts up to 45 mph, and in the mountains and foothills gusts of 40-50 mph could be seen Monday.
And temperatures will continue to be higher than average,
possibly reaching highs 10-15 degrees higher than usual for the time of year Tuesday (for example, in Chico the high is expected to be 68 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday).
Littlefield said the intersection between foothills and the valley ‘ is a little sheltered and may not get too windy.” But gusty winds over the mountains and drainage gaps could continue overnight and into Tuesday morning.
Then, calmer weather is expected later Tuesday and into Wednesday, she added, although there is some uncertainty about more breezy conditions returning Thursday. Temperatures are also expected to begin cooling starting Wednesday.
No precipitation is expected for interior Northern California through the remainder of the week. However, there are some preliminary models indicating a small chance of precipitation sometime in the coming third week of December. Littlefield said although one model is showing a 30% chance for the north state to get prcipitation during the weekend or by Dec. 14, no more concrete information will be available until later in the week.
A red flag warning is in place for parts of the state to high fire danger. Currently, no public safety power shutoff due to dry, windy conditions is planned by PG&E for Butte County. Planned shut-offs in Central California for Monday were cancelled this morning.