...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 45 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.

* 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.

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions

are either occurring now...or will shortly. A combination of

strong winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures can

contribute to extreme fire behavior.