The North Bay is gearing up for its first taste of dry-season weather this weekend, bringing a mix of gusty winds and plunging humidity levels.
The Press Democrat reports starting today, a shifting weather pattern will bring 15-foot waves to exposed beaches alongside interior wind gusts reaching up to 35 miles per hour in the valleys and 50 miles per hour in the mountains. Forecasters pin late Sunday into early Monday morning as the window for the most intense conditions, warning that any fires sparked in the dry interior could spread rapidly.
While local fire officials say the landscape isn’t dry enough yet to trigger a formal red flag warning, the upcoming weather is expected to dry out local hillsides.
To prepare for the hotter months ahead, the Santa Rosa Fire Department has already announced it will officially declare the start of its local fire season on June 1st.