LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The National Weather Service has placed Lake County and other parts of the region under a red flag warning through Saturday evening, but so far no power outages have been announced for the county.
The warning went into effect at 11 p.m. Thursday and will remain in effect until 6 p.m. Saturday.
A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly, the National Weather Service said.
The warning is triggered by a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures that forecasters said can contribute to extreme fire behavior. The National Weather Service said wildland fuels below the 2,000 foot elevation mark are generally near or below the seasonal average and susceptible to rapid spread of fire.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. has warned that such conditions can trigger public safety power shutoffs, but so far the company has not announced plans for any such action in Lake County – or in areas that would impact the county – as a result of this warning.
Northshore Fire Chief Mike Ciancio confirmed on Thursday that no power shutoff to the area is planned due to the weekend weather conditions.
The National Weather Service said a low pressure system is bringing breezy north winds behind the departing low pressure system, which in turn is resulting in elevated fire weather concerns through Saturday.
Conditions are forecast to be warmer than normal over the weekend with cooling again next week.
The specific Lake County forecast expects winds into the low teens on Friday, with gusts up to 20 miles per hour in the south county. Lighter winds are forecast for Saturday.
Temperatures on Friday are forecast to range into the high 80s and drop into the low 50s at night, with Saturday, Sunday and Monday having highs in the low 90s in the south county and high 80s elsewhere, and similar nighttime temperatures to Friday.
Conditions are forecast to cool next week, with daytime temperatures dropping into the 80s in Middletown and the high 70s in other parts of the county from Tuesday through Thursday. Nighttime temperatures will hover in the low 50s.
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Lake County placed under red flag warning; no power outages planned
- Elizabeth Larson
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