Santa Ana winds to rake California, raise fire threat
By
Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Oct 7, 2019 4:02 PM EDT
The same storm bringing another blast of cold air and heavy snow to the northern Plains is kicking up winds and raising the risk of wildfire ignition and spread over California through Friday.
The winds were already causing issues on Thursday and Thursday night, when several wildfires broke out and grew rapidly.
"Winds from the north and northeast are forecast to average 15-30 mph with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ gust of 60 mph anticipated in the north- to northeast-facing canyons and passes," Brett Anderson, AccuWeather senior meteorologist, said.
Higher gusts are likely over the ridges and summits.
Gusty winds will threaten to cause sporadic power outages. Where power lines are downed, sparks could initiate a wildfire.
Ahead of the wind event, PG&E energy turned off electricity for parts of California in what is known as a Public Safety Power Shutoff. This reduces the risk of fires sparking due to live power lines that are blown over.
"This is shaping up to be one of the most severe dry wind events we’ve seen in our territory in recent years, and we want our customers to be prepared for an extended outage that may last several days. Our meteorological and operations teams continue to actively monitor the weather and this evolving situation, and we are working directly with state and local agencies to help prepare our customers and the public for this safety event," Michael Lewis, Senior Vice President, PG&E Electric Operations said in a statement. "We want our customers to be aware that, based on this number, it could take several days to fully restore power after the weather passes and safety inspections are completed."
People should be extra vigilant during this and any wind event. Use extreme caution with any cooking or power equipment that throws heat or may emit sparks. Never park over dry brush as the exhaust system can be hot enough to start a fire. Never toss burning cigarettes outside of your vehicle.
A brush fire led to the closure of an entrance to Yosemite National Park on Sunday, Oct. 6. By Sunday evening, the fire was burning along Highway 140 from Octagon to Buffalo Gulch Road. The sheriff’s office has yet to put out any evacuation orders.
Unlike what can occur during some Santa Ana wind events, which can usher in hot and arid air, this particular episode will bring in somewhat cooler air.
However, the combination of dry air, dry brush and gusty winds will significantly raise the chance of wildfire ignition.
Any fires may be subject to erratic behavior and could be difficult to contain.
Winds are forecast to ease by this weekend, which will also allow the risk of wildfires to subside. However, with a lack of rain, any fires still burning will have to be contained by firefighters and not the weather.
Download the free AccuWeather app for the latest information on forecast winds and fire weather. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Weather News
Santa Ana winds to rake California, raise fire threat
By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Oct 7, 2019 4:02 PM EDT
The same storm bringing another blast of cold air and heavy snow to the northern Plains is kicking up winds and raising the risk of wildfire ignition and spread over California through Friday.
The winds were already causing issues on Thursday and Thursday night, when several wildfires broke out and grew rapidly.
"Winds from the north and northeast are forecast to average 15-30 mph with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ gust of 60 mph anticipated in the north- to northeast-facing canyons and passes," Brett Anderson, AccuWeather senior meteorologist, said.
Higher gusts are likely over the ridges and summits.
Gusty winds will threaten to cause sporadic power outages. Where power lines are downed, sparks could initiate a wildfire.
Ahead of the wind event, PG&E energy turned off electricity for parts of California in what is known as a Public Safety Power Shutoff. This reduces the risk of fires sparking due to live power lines that are blown over.
"This is shaping up to be one of the most severe dry wind events we’ve seen in our territory in recent years, and we want our customers to be prepared for an extended outage that may last several days. Our meteorological and operations teams continue to actively monitor the weather and this evolving situation, and we are working directly with state and local agencies to help prepare our customers and the public for this safety event," Michael Lewis, Senior Vice President, PG&E Electric Operations said in a statement. "We want our customers to be aware that, based on this number, it could take several days to fully restore power after the weather passes and safety inspections are completed."
People should be extra vigilant during this and any wind event. Use extreme caution with any cooking or power equipment that throws heat or may emit sparks. Never park over dry brush as the exhaust system can be hot enough to start a fire. Never toss burning cigarettes outside of your vehicle.
A brush fire led to the closure of an entrance to Yosemite National Park on Sunday, Oct. 6. By Sunday evening, the fire was burning along Highway 140 from Octagon to Buffalo Gulch Road. The sheriff’s office has yet to put out any evacuation orders.
Unlike what can occur during some Santa Ana wind events, which can usher in hot and arid air, this particular episode will bring in somewhat cooler air.
Related:
However, the combination of dry air, dry brush and gusty winds will significantly raise the chance of wildfire ignition.
Any fires may be subject to erratic behavior and could be difficult to contain.
Winds are forecast to ease by this weekend, which will also allow the risk of wildfires to subside. However, with a lack of rain, any fires still burning will have to be contained by firefighters and not the weather.
Download the free AccuWeather app for the latest information on forecast winds and fire weather. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo