Santa Cruz County Fire Weather Watch Upgraded To Red Flag Warning

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for much of the Bay Area this week as a period of dry, windy weather looms.

The watch is in effect from 5 a.m. Wednesday to 11 a.m. Friday. Wind gusts of up to 50 mph are possible at the highest elevations, while gusts of 30 to 40 mph are possible elsewhere in higher elevations. Valleys could see gusts around 30 mph.

On Tuesday morning, the NWS upgraded a fire weather watch issued Monday to a red flag warning and expanded the coverage area to include valleys in the North and East bay areas. Previously, officials said areas of highest concern included elevations of the North Bay Mountains, East Bay hills and Santa Cruz Mountains, according to NWS. Higher elevations in the Peninsula and South Bay were also covered by the fire weather watch.

Winds are forecast to start ramping up Wednesday morning — particularly in Napa County — then become strongest Wednesday night into Thursday morning, according to NWS. Winds will die down Thursday, pick up that night and die down Friday.

Yesterday's #fireWeatherWatch has been upgraded to a #redFlagWarning and now includes the addition of the North Bay Valleys and the East Bay Valleys. Strong offshore winds will be gusty, especially at higher elevations with dry conditions prevalent from Wed. AM thru Fri AM.#CAwx pic.twitter.com/rfvsdvHNUC
— NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) October 13, 2020