- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
National Weather Service issues red flag warning, wind advisory for Lake County
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning and a wind advisory for Lake County and other portions of Northern California due to concerns for high winds on Saturday night and into Sunday morning.
Both the red flag warning and the wind advisory will be in effect from 5 p.m. Saturday to 11 a.m. Sunday, the National Weather Service reported.
A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring or are anticipated. A wind advisory is issued when winds of 35 miles per hour are expected.
In the case of the potential for fire weather conditions, forecasters warned of lower humidity combined with strong winds that could create explosive growth potential for any fires that occur during the advisory period.
Forecasters said a strong and unseasonal low pressure system coming over the region from the Pacific Northwest is anticipated to bring strong, gusty winds and lower temperatures to Northern California.
North and northeasterly winds of between 25 and 35 miles per hour – with gusts up to 55 miles per hour over the region's higher terrain, are forecast, the agency said.
The National Weather Service said the strongest winds and lowest humidity areas will include the western parts of Shasta County, the interior Coast Range southward to Lake County, and the northern and central Sacramento valley.
Within Lake County specifically, the forecast predicts winds of as high as 48 miles per hour in the Cobb area, 45 miles per hour in Kelseyville, 25 miles per hour in Lakeport, 40 miles per hour in Lower Lake, 31 miles per hour in Lucerne, 44 miles per hour in Middletown and 25 miles per hour in Upper Lake.
Forecasters warned of the potential for winds to topple drought-stressed trees and damage power lines.
In areas hit by recent wildland fires, the winds also could create the potential to knock down burned and weakened trees.
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