By admin 
As gusty winds begin to flow out of the northeast later this week, the combination of dry air and this offshore breeze will combine into an especially potent and widespread risk for spreading fire through Saturday across nearly the entire state.
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Red flag warnings have been issued for the northern Sierra south all the way to Los Angeles County, with power shutoffs expected as winds gust above 40 mph. The risk is of particularly high concern in Southern California, where a major Santa Ana wind event is expected to drive dry winds gusting up to 70 mph down mountain slopes.
As a cut-off low sets up across Southern California on Thursday with a strong ridge setting up over Idaho, winds will be forced out of the northeast like a Hot Wheels car entering a booster on the track, bringing with them relative humidity values of 20% or lower as dry air from the desert heats up and accelerates as it descends.
Sacramento Valley foothills and Sierra at risk Thursday
For the northern Sierra and Sacramento Valley foothills, a series of red flag warnings have been issued from midnight Thursday through 10 a.m. Friday ahead of these strong northeast winds. This includes the communities such as Placerville, Jackson, Quincy and Paradise. Winds are expected to gust between 40 and 55 mph late Thursday, with relative humidity values of about 20%.
While the region in the immediate vicinity of Sacramento County is unlikely to see winds gusts in excess of 25 mph Thursday, the valley floor to the north between Chico, Yuba City and Williams could see wind gusts up to 35 mph and will remain at an elevated risk for fire, although the area wasn’t under a red flag warning as of Wednesday afternoon.
To the west, a red flag warning is in effect Thursday morning and early afternoon for portions of Lake County near Clearlake — generally surrounding the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument — with a potential for an extension through Friday morning. Winds in the area could peak above 40 mph.
As of Wednesday afternoon, PG&E is considering power shutoffs for portions of Placer, El Dorado, and Amador counties, as well as Napa, Sonoma and other Northern California counties.
San Joaquin Valley foothills at extended risk through Friday
The southern Sierra will experience a prolonged risk for spreading fire, with a red flag warning issued for Thursday morning through Friday evening and extending down into the foothills. Winds are expected to gust between 40-55 mph as they race downhill. The strongest winds are expected in the vicinity of Kings Canyon and Sequoia national parks, with peak gusts nearing 70 mph at times.
Winds across the San Joaquin Valley floor could gust 15-20 mph at times Thursday and Friday, with the majority of more problematic winds reserved for the Sierra foothills.
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Much of this area is under consideration for power shutoffs from PG&E as of Wednesday afternoon, including Pinehurst and the area around Yosemite Valley. Between the Sierra regions surrounding Modesto, Merced and Fresno, over 36,000 customers are under consideration for shutoffs so far.
Intense Santa Ana wind event for Southern California through Saturday
Southern California will be the focus for the largest risk for spreading fire through the end of the week. A strong Santa Ana wind event, the first of the season so far, is expected to unfold between Thursday and Saturday, with the strongest winds expected on Friday as the event peaks.
Wind gusts could reach in excess of 70 mph across the Santa Monica and San Gabriel mountain ranges. A series of red flag warnings have been issued from portions of San Luis Obispo County through Los Angeles County and north towards Tehachapi through Saturday at 8 p.m.
PG&E is considering roughly 10,000 customers for power shutoffs in San Luis Obispo County alone, with winds gusting up to 45 mph in the mountains south to Santa Maria on Friday.
Elsewhere, Southern California Edison is considering over 120,000 customer shutoffs between the mountainous areas of Ventura, Los Angeles and San Bernardino.
As dry winds race downhill across Southern California, they will also heat up substantially, raising high temperatures well into the 80s on Thursday and into the 90s Friday.
Conditions will improve statewide on Sunday as cooler air with an onshore breeze cools down temperatures and even introduces chances for showers early next week.
This story was originally published October 14, 2026 at 3:43 PM with the headline “Red flag warnings issued across California as Santa Ana, north winds threaten.”
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