NWS Issues Fire Weather Watch for California Central Valley

SACRAMENTO VALLEY — The National Weather Service office in Sacramento issued a Fire Weather Watch on Thursday for most of the California Central Valley. The alert covers the Sacramento Valley, the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, and the northern San Joaquin Valley. The watch takes effect at 4 AM Saturday and lasts until 8 PM Monday.

North winds of 15 to 25 miles per hour will develop with gusts reaching 35 to 45 miles per hour and up to 50 miles per hour in the Delta. Daytime relative humidity values will drop to 9 to 15 percent. The combination creates conditions in which fires can ignite easily and spread rapidly once started.

Affected counties include Tehama, Glenn, Butte, Colusa, Sutter, Yuba, Yolo, Solano, Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus, with emphasis on valley-floor areas below 1,000 feet in elevation. The watch also includes the Delta region near Stockton.

A Fire Weather Watch notifies the public and fire agencies that critical conditions remain possible but have not yet reached Red Flag Warning thresholds. Residents should avoid outdoor burning and activities that produce sparks, such as operating lawnmowers during afternoon hours. Emergency plans should remain ready in case conditions worsen.

Local fire departments recommend clearing vegetation around homes before the winds arrive and checking current burn ordinances. Updates will come from the National Weather Service if the watch is upgraded to a warning.