Red Flag Warning Issued for Foothills

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the foothills of Milpitas. It will be in effect until 6 p.m. Wednesday. A combination of high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds prompted the warning.

Here is the complete announcement from the NWS:

Strong north to northeast winds will develop tonight into Wednesday. The strongest winds will be during the overnight and early morning hours of Wednesday when wind gusts in excess of 50 mph will be possible across the hills. Winds will begin to decrease by Wednesday afternoon but temperatures will remain hot with very dry relative humidity values.

Red Flag Warning remains in effect from 6 pm this evening to 6 pm PDT Wednesday for gusty winds and low humidity for the East Bay hills above 1000 feet.

• Affected area: fire zone 511 East Bay hills and Diablo Range. Includes all locations above 1000 feet in Alameda and Contra Costa County as well as the Eastern Santa Clara County Hills. Including Mount Diablo state park, Henry Coe and the vicinity of Mount Hamilton.
• Timing: from 6 pm today through 6 pm Wednesday with the period of strongest winds roughly from 1 am Wednesday to 10 am Wednesday.
• Wind: north to Northeast sustained 20 to 35 mph with frequent gusts to 50 mph and local gusts to 60 mph over the higher peaks including Mount Diablo.
• Humidity: afternoon minimum 15 to 20 percent, staying less then 30 percent overnight.
• Impacts: The combination of record dry fuels, near record warmth along with strong and dry offshore winds will increase the probability of new fire Ignitions. Residents are urged to use extra caution with any outdoor burning or fires.

This alert message was written in all uppercase. Change to sentence case.

.STRONG NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS WILL DEVELOP TONIGHT INTO
WEDNESDAY. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE DURING THE OVERNIGHT AND
EARLY MORNING HOURS OF WEDNESDAY WHEN WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50
MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE HILLS. WINDS WILL BEGIN TO
DECREASE BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON BUT TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN HOT
WITH VERY DRY RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES.

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO
6 PM PDT WEDNESDAY FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR THE EAST
BAY HILLS ABOVE 1000 FEET...

* AFFECTED AREA: FIRE ZONE 511 EAST BAY HILLS AND DIABLO RANGE.
INCLUDES ALL LOCATIONS ABOVE 1000 FEET IN ALAMEDA AND CONTRA
COSTA COUNTY AS WELL AS THE EASTERN SANTA CLARA COUNTY HILLS.
INCLUDING MOUNT DIABLO STATE PARK...HENRY COE AND THE
VICINITY OF MOUNT HAMILTON.

* TIMING: FROM 6 PM TODAY THROUGH 6 PM WEDNESDAY WITH THE
PERIOD OF STRONGEST WINDS ROUGHLY FROM 1 AM WEDNESDAY TO 10
AM WEDNESDAY.

* WIND: NORTH TO NORTHEAST SUSTAINED 20 TO 35 MPH WITH FREQUENT
GUSTS TO 50 MPH AND LOCAL GUSTS TO 60 MPH OVER THE HIGHER
PEAKS INCLUDING MOUNT DIABLO.

* HUMIDITY: AFTERNOON MINIMUM 15 TO 20 PERCENT...STAYING LESS
THEN 30 PERCENT OVERNIGHT.

* IMPACTS: THE COMBINATION OF RECORD DRY FUELS...NEAR RECORD
WARMTH ALONG WITH STRONG AND DRY OFFSHORE WINDS WILL INCREASE
THE PROBABILITY OF NEW FIRE IGNITIONS. RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO
USE EXTRA CAUTION WITH ANY OUTDOOR BURNING OR FIRES.

Recommended 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 will create explosive Fire growth potential.

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 WILL
CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

See also:

• What to do before a wildfire (ready.gov)
• What to do during a wildfire (ready.gov)
• What to do after a wildfire (ready.gov)

What is a Red Flag Warning?

A Warning issued by National Weather Service fire weather forecasters to alert forecast users to an ongoing or imminent critical fire weather pattern. The warning product alerts land management agencies to the potential for widespread new ignitions or control problems with existing fires, both of which could pose a threat to life and property.

It is issued when it is an on-going event or the fire weather forecaster has a high degree of confidence that Red Flag criteria will occur within 48 hours of issuance. Red Flag criteria is based on local area vegetation characteristics, local climatology, select weather criteria and/or any combination of critical weather and fuel moisture forecasts. In some states, dry lightning and unstable air are criteria. A Fire Weather Watch may be issued prior to the Red Flag Warning.

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