Red Flag Warning For The Mother Lode, Stanislaus National Forest
Extreme fire weather conditions are expected throughout Northern and Central California from Sunday through Tuesday, due to high winds and low humidity.
Light winds and moderate humidity will be seen today before a wind event affects Northern California from Sunday morning into Tuesday. The wind event looks to be the strongest event of the year so far. Extremely low humidity is forecast.
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Northern San Joaquin Valley from 8 AM Sunday until 1 PM Tuesday.
A Red Flag Warning has also been issued for the Mother Lode and the Stanislaus National Forest, from 8 PM Sunday through 1 PM Tuesday.
The strong easterly winds are expected to noticeably develop by early Sunday evening and continue to increase overnight in the Sierra Nevada.
Sustained winds of fifteen to thirty mph are likely, with gusts ranging from forty to seventy mph from Sunday night into early Monday morning. The winds are not expected to be as strong on Monday night, although local gusts up to forty mph will be possible in favored locations.
The winds will be strong enough to down weakened trees in forested areas as well as power lines in the mountains and possibly in the lower elevations. This may result in wind-caused power outages, that will need repairs.
Minimum daytime humidity will range from four to fifteen percent. The maximum overnight humidity recovery will generally be between fifteen and forty percent.
Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Extreme caution should be taken to prevent new fire starts. Practice fire weather safety.
A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of strong wind, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.
