Light wind to transition to dry weather across parts of Northern California; Red Flag Conditions

Starting Thursday, winds will shift to the north and east, contributing to a rapid decrease in humidity as an "Inside Slider" pattern establPhoto byC. G.onUnsplash

The National Weather Service in Sacramento is warning residents of Northern California about critical fire weather conditions forecasted from Thursday night through Saturday evening. As scattered light rain showers are expected across the region today, the situation will rapidly shift as gusty winds and low humidity levels take hold.

Temperatures in the Valley are currently up to 10 degrees warmer than they were 24 hours ago, but a shortwave trough moving through the area today will bring cooler daytime highs along with light precipitation. Rainfall amounts are expected to be less than a tenth of an inch in the Valley and around a quarter of an inch or less at higher elevations. There's also a 20% chance of isolated thunderstorms in the mountains, primarily north of Interstate 80.

Starting Thursday, winds will shift to the north and east, contributing to a rapid decrease in humidity as an "Inside Slider" pattern establishes itself. Elevated to critical fire weather conditions are anticipated Thursday evening through early Saturday, with wind speeds peaking and humidity levels dropping significantly on Friday. The most severe conditions are expected along the western edge of the Sacramento Valley, up to the Interstate 5 corridor, and in the Delta region.

The National Blend of Models (NBM) indicates a 40% to 85% chance of wind gusts reaching 40 mph or higher in the most affected areas, with a broader range of 50% to 95% for gusts of 30 mph or higher across the Valley and northeast foothills. Relative humidity is expected to plummet to single digits or as high as 20%, with poor to moderate overnight recoveries.