Critical Fire Weather Conditions, Smoky Skies In Imperial Beach

IMPERIAL BEACH, CA – A red flag warning has been extended through Sunday night as critical fire weather conditions are expected to continue in Imperial Beach and across San Diego County.

Periods of strong Santa Ana winds and very low humidity are forecast, according to the National Weather Service. Winds will gradually weaken Friday and Saturday, but fire weather conditions are expected to linger in some areas through Sunday.

"A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly," the weather service said. "A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures can
contribute to extreme fire behavior."

Here are the weather conditions the National Weather Service is forecasting for Imperial Beach through the weekend:

Friday
Areas of smoke after 10am. Sunny, with a high near 75. East wind 10 to 15 mph becoming east 5 to 10 mph in the morning.

Friday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 50. Light and variable wind becoming southeast 10 to 15 mph after midnight.

Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 76. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Saturday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 55. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 77.

Sunday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 55.

Image by Autumn Johnson, Patch Staff