RED FLAG WARNING NOW IN EFFECT THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING FOR THE BAY AREA AND CENTRAL COAST AS STRONG OFFSHORE WINDS AND CRITICALLY DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP. .Gusty north-northeast winds are expected to develop as an "inside slider" system moves into the Great Basin this weekend. Humidities will still be on the higher end at the start of the event on Thursday, but are expected to quickly dry out as low as 10% Friday and Saturday. Peak winds are expected overnight Thursday night into Friday morning for the North Bay and Bay Area. Most areas across the region will be affected to some degree, with likely exceptions being the immediate Big Sur coast, Monterey Bay coast, and the Marin/Sonoma coast. Winds largely on the order of 25-35 mph can be expected with gusts to 50 mph. isolated gusts to 65 mph across the highest terrain and ridgetops, most notably the North Bay Interior Mountains and the Diablo Range. * AFFECTED AREA. Fire Weather Zone 516 Southern Salinas Valley/Arroyo Seco and Lake San Antonio, Fire Weather Zone 517 Santa Lucia Mountains and Los Padres National Forest, Fire Weather Zone 518 Mountains of San Benito County And Interior Monterey County including Pinnacles National Park and Fire Weather Zone 528 Northern Salinas Valley/Hollister Valley and Carmel Valley. * TIMING. 11 PM Thursday until 5 PM Saturday * WINDS. North 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY. As low as 13 percent. * LIGHTNING. None. * IMPACTS. The combination of gusty winds and low humidity can cause fire to rapidly grow in size and intensity. Outdoor burning is not recommended. Despite recent cool weather and high humidity, we are expecting a widespread and prolonged offshore wind event which will likely dry fuels out very quickly given their volatility over the past several weeks.
