Weather service issues Red Flag fire warning

Due to a combination of strong winds, and low humidity in the dry month of October, the National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for the Bay Area on Sunday and Monday, according to the Mercury News.  Nice quote:

"We’re recommending that people bring in lawn furniture so they don’t become projectiles,’’ said Shawn Weagle, a forecaster with the National Weather Service.

Click the "read more" link to see the warning.

RED FLAG WARNING

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO CA

250 PM PDT SAT OCT 9 2004

CAZ205>211-265-274-275-101100-

...RED FLAG WARNING SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY FOR THE ENTIRE SAN

FRANCISCO AND MONTEREY BAY FORECAST AREA FOR VERY STRONG OFFSHORE

WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES…

FIRE WEATHER ZONES INCLUDED IN THIS WARNING ARE:

CAZ205 SONOMA AND MARIN COUNTIES-

CAZ206 SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY-

CAZ207 ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTIES…THE EAST BAY HILLS-

CAZ208 SANTA CLARA COUNTY-

CAZ209 LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST-

CAZ210 THE SALINAS VALLEY AND PINNACLES NM-

CAZ211 THE DELTA-

CAZ265 NAPA COUNTY-

CAZ274 SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS-

CAZ275 SAN MATEO HILLS-

DISCUSSION:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING FOR ALL AREAS OF THE FIRE WEATHER DISTRICT FOR SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY FOR STRONG OFFSHORE WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES.

STRONG HIGH PRESSURE QUICKLY BUILDING INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COMBINED WITH LOW PRESSURE NEAR LAS VEGAS…WILL PRODUCE STRONG AND GUSTY OFFSHORE WINDS SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY. WINDS IN THE NORTH AND EAST BAY HILLS WILL INCREASE TO 25 TO 35 MPH LATE TONIGHT WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH POSSIBLE BY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. WHILE WINDS IN THE COASTAL VALLEYS WILL NOT BE AS STRONG…AN INCREASE IN WIND SPEEDS TO 15 TO 25 MPH WILL OCCUR THERE BY SUNDAY MORNING. DURING SUNDAY AFTERNOON…RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL DROP INTO THE TEENS INLAND AND FALL INTO THE 35-45% RANGE AT THE COAST AS THE OFFSHORE FLOW DEEPENS.

DURING SUNDAY NIGHT…LITTLE IF ANY OVERNIGHT RELATIVE HUMIDITY RECOVERY IS EXPECTED IN THE HILLS AS NORTHEAST TO EAST WINDS AGAIN BLOW BETWEEN 20 AND 30 MPH. ON MONDAY…THE STRENGTH OF THE OFFSHORE WINDS WILL BEGIN TO DECREASE…ALTHOUGH RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL REMAIN EXTREMELY LOW…THUS RED FLAG CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH THE DAY.

PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS AND FIRE CREWS IN THE FIELD OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.