ALT In coordination with NWS and Fire Partners, the fuels are much drier in the central valley while the Bay Area fuels are still near normal due to April Rains. In addition, the humidity values will be lower in the Central Valley with more widespread dry north winds than in the Bay Area. A fire could still start outside of the Central Valley, but a Red Flag Warning means the conditions are in place for a fire to spread much more easily and rapidly.

ALT Fire weather watch issued for the North & East Bay Hills/Mountains from Sunday night into Tuesday morning.

ALT Due to the threat of Dry Lightning: A Red Flag Warning is in effect from 5 PM Thursday through 11 AM Friday for the North Bay Mountains and Valleys, the East Bay Hills and Valleys, and the Diablo Range. Strong high pressure over the Four Corners Region and an incoming upper level trough will steer mid-level subtropical moisture over the Pacific into northern California beginning Thursday afternoon. This moisture combined with low to moderate instability will bring chances for dry thunderstorms to the North Bay in the late afternoon into the overnight hours, and then into interior portions of the East Bay into Friday morning. Even if rain does fall, it will likely not be enough to extinguish any fire starts or prevent fire spreads initiated by lightning strikes, given the extremely dry fuels in interior and elevated areas. Hot and dry conditions preceding this event have exacerbated the dry fuel conditions and heightened fire weather concerns.