Critical Fire Weather Conditions, Smoky Skies In Oceanside

OCEANSIDE, CA – A red flag warning has been extended through Sunday night as critical fire weather conditions are expected to continue in Oceanside 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 Oceanside through the weekend:

Friday
Areas of smoke. Sunny, with a high near 71. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west 10 to 15 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.

Friday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 53. Light and variable wind becoming northeast 10 to 15 mph in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 70. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the morning.

Saturday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 54. North wind around 5 mph.

Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 70.

Sunday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 54.

Image by Autumn Johnson, Patch Staff