Urgent Fire Weather Message

URGENT – FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
206 PM PST THU JAN 23 2014

CAZ511-512-517-518-241015-
/O.EXA.KMTR.FW.W.0003.000000T0000Z-140124T2100Z/
EAST BAY HILLS AND DIABLO RANGE-SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS-
SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS AND LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST-
MOUNTAINS OF SAN BENITO AND INTERIOR MONTEREY COUNTY INCLUDING
PINNACLES NATIONAL PARK-
206 PM PST THU JAN 23 2014

…RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM PST FRIDAY FOR GUSTY
WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR ALL MOUNTAINS ABOVE 1000 FEET…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HAS ISSUED A
RED FLAG WARNING…WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM PST FRIDAY.

* AFFECTED AREA: FIRE ZONE 511 EAST BAY HILLS AND DIABLO
RANGE…FIRE ZONE 512 SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS…FIRE ZONE 517
SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS AND LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST…FIRE
ZONE 518 MOUNTAINS OF SAN BENITO AND INTERIOR MONTEREY COUNTY
INCLUDING PINNACLES NATIONAL PARK.

* TIMING: UNTIL 1 PM FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

* WIND: EAST WINDS 10 TO 20 MPH WITH FREQUENT GUSTS TO 30 MPH OVER
THE RIDGES. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE SOUTHEAST LATE THIS EVENING
INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.

* HUMIDITY: STEADY FROM 12 TO 25 PERCENT DURING THE DURATION OF
THE WARNING.

* IMPACTS: THE COMBINATION OF DRY FUELS…GUSTY WINDS AND LOW
HUMIDITY WILL CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WHERE
ANY NEW IGNITIONS WILL EXPERIENCE RAPID FIRE GROWTH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

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.

It is gusting up to 35 mph on a regular basis up here.