Red Flag Warning, for Santa Ana Winds: SO Cal and Bay Areas

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH is cancelled, Red Flag warning now in effect: STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...

Fuels have started to recover with recent rains but certain fuels are still receptive to fire. Strong offshore flow warnings should be taken seriously across most of Southern California canyons and passess regardless of recent rains.

A COLD UPPER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BRING STRONG GUSTY SANTA ANA WINDS TO VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY.

THE UPPER TROF IS FORECAST TO MOVE SOUTH AND STRENGTHEN INTO AN
UPPER LEVEL LOW OVER EXTREME SERN CA OR THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER
VALLEY BY LATE TONIGHT INTO THU MORNING. THE UPPER LOW IS FORECAST
TO REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY THRU THU NIGHT THEN DRIFT INTO AZ ON
FRI...ALTHO THE WRF IS QUICKER IN MOVING THE UPPER LOW EASTWARD...
WHILE THE EC IS SLOWEST. A SIGNIFICANT OFFSHORE WIND EVENT IS
EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER MUCH OF VTU/L.A. COUNTIES TONIGHT THANKS TO
RAPIDLY INCREASING NORTHERLY GRADIENTS...PLENTY OF COLD AIR
ADVECTION...AND VERY STRONG N TO NE WINDS ALOFT AND AT LOWER LEVELS.
THE 12Z WRF WAS FORECASTING 850 MB WINDS TO BE AS HIGH AS 70 KT AT
TIMES...WITH 950 MB (1500 FT) WINDS AS HIGH AS 45 KT. WRF ISENTROPIC
CROSS SECTIONS AND OMEGA FIELDS CONTINUE TO INDICATE PLENTY OF
DOWNWARD SUPPORT OF MOMENTUM TRANSFER OF HI WINDS TO LOWER LEVELS.
AS A RESULT...WIND GUSTS AS HIGH AS 80 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE
L.A./VTU MTNS EXCLUDING THE SANTA MONICA MTNS...UP TO 70 MPH IN THE
SANTA MONICA MTNS...AND AS HIGH AS 60-65 MPH IN THE VLYS OF VTU/L.A.
COUNTIES AND THE COASTAL AREAS OF L.A. COUNTY FROM LATER TONIGHT
INTO FRI MORNING. HOWEVER...WINDS OVER VTU COUNTY VLYS MAY NOT BE
QUITE AS STRONG TONIGHT INTO THU MORNING AS IT LOOKS LIKE WINDS WILL
BE MORE NORTHERLY WHICH MAY LIMIT THE WIDESPREAD STRONG WINDS TO
CERTAIN AREAS BELOW PASSES AND CANYONS SUCH AS IN AND AROUND LAKE
CASITAS AND THE VLYS OF EXTREME SE VTU COUNTY. WINDS SHOULD TURN NE
AND BECOME MUCH STRONGER THU NIGHT INTO FRI MORNING FOR THE VTU
COUNTY VLYS. AS A RESULT...THE HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE VTU VLYS
WILL BE FOR THU NIGHT INTO FRI MORNING...WITH A WIND ADVISORY FOR
FOR TONIGHT INTO THU MORNING. OTHERWISE...HIGH WIND WARNINGS REMAIN
FOR MUCH OF L.A. COUNTY AND PORTIONS OF VTU COUNTY. PLEASE SEE THE
LATEST LAXNPWLOX FOR FURTHER DETAILS ON THE HIGH WIND WARNINGS AND
WIND ADVISORIES.

THE UPPER TROF MAY BRING SOME CLOUDINESS AT TIMES TO EASTERN L.A.
COUNTY THU INTO FRI...OTHERWISE MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES SHOULD PREVAIL
OVER THE FORECAST AREA. TEMPS ARE EXPECTED TO COOL SIGNIFICANTLY TO
SEVERAL DEGREES BELOW NORMAL IN ALL AREAS THU AND FRI. IN
ADDITION...WIDESPREAD FROST IN SHELTERED AREAS IS EXPECTED FOR THE
SLO INTERIOR VALLEYS TONIGHT. HOWEVER...IT LOOKS LIKE THE FIRST
WIDESPREAD HARD FREEZE OF THE SEASON WILL OCCUR FOR THIS AREA THU
NIGHT THANKS TO LIGHTER WINDS.

FOR FRI NIGHT AND SAT...THE UPPER LOW WILL MOVE FURTHER E WHILE
ANOTHER UPPER LOW DROPS SOUTH OVER UTAH FRI NIGHT AND INTO NORTHERN
AZ ON SAT. DRY WEATHER WILL CONTINUE OVER SWRN CA THRU SAT. OFFSHORE
FLOW IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE AGAIN BY EARLY SAT...WITH GUSTY NE
WINDS POSSIBLE OVER MUCH OF VTU/L.A. COUNTIES. THE STRONGEST WINDS
SHOULD BE OVER THE MOUNTAINS...WITH WARNING LEVEL WIND GUSTS NOT OUT
OF THE QUESTION. ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR THE
VALLEYS AND PERHAPS EVEN SOME COASTAL AREAS AS WELL. IT APPEARS THAT
ANOTHER ROUND OF WIND ADVISORIES OR HIGH WIND WARNINGS MAY BE NEEDED
FOR AT LEAST THE FIRST HALF OF THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. TEMPS OVER THE
REGION WILL REMAIN COOLER THAN NORMAL THRU SAT. ANOTHER WIDESPREAD
HARD FREEZE LOOKS POSSIBLE FOR THE SLO INTERIOR VALLEYS FRI NIGHT.

.LONG TERM (SUN-WED)...GFS AND ECMWF IN MUCH BETTER AGREEMENT FOR
SUN AND MON THEN START TO SHOW SOME RELATIVELY MINOR DIFFERENCES FOR
SWRN CA FOR TUE AND WED. BOTH MODELS KEEP LARGE UPPER RIDGING OVER
THE ERN PAC WITH A BROAD NORTHERLY FLOW ALOFT FOR THE MOST PART OVER
CA. THEY ALSO FORECAST THE UPPER LOW OVER AZ MOVING E SUN AND MON.
THE GFS FORECASTS A WEAK DISSIPATING COLD FRONT MOVING INTO THE AREA
ON WED AS WELL. OTHERWISE...GENERALLY DRY OFFSHORE FLOW WILL PERSIST
MAINLY NIGHT AND MORNING HOURS THRU TUE WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES.
WINDS MAY BECOME GUSTY ENOUGH TO REACH ADVISORY LEVELS AT TIMES IN
THE VALLEYS AND MTNS OF VTU/L.A. COUNTIES. THE LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL
THEN TURN ONSHORE FOR WED ALONG WITH PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES. TEMPS ARE
EXPECTED TO BE NEAR NORMAL TO SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL ACROSS THE
REGION DURING THE PERIOD. COLD NIGHTTIME TEMPS CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED
AT LEAST THRU MON NIGHT...WITH PATCHY FROST IN THE COLD SHELTERED
VALLEYS.

Diablo Wind Warning, Bay Area

NORTH BAY MOUNTAINS-
846 AM PST MON NOV 28 2011

...HIGH WIND WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING

THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT...

A HIGH WIND WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING
THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT.

* TIMING: STRONG WINDS MAY DEVELOP JUST AFTER SUNRISE WEDNESDAY
MORNING AND THEN INCREASE IN SPEED BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT. STRONG

WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT.

* WINDS: NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS FROM 20 TO 40 MPH WITH
FREQUENT WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH. LOCAL WIND GUSTS AS
HIGH AS 70 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE HILLS ABOVE 1000 FEET.


* IMPACTS: EARLY INDICATIONS SHOW THE POTENTIAL FOR A
SIGNIFICANT AND PROLONGED WIND STORM. DOWNED TREES AND
BRANCHES MAY CAUSE POWER OUTAGES. ANY LOOSE OBJECTS NOT TIED
DOWN WILL BLOW AROUND. HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES WILL BE PRONE TO

THE STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS. ANY STRUCTURE OR WILDFIRES COULD
BE UNUSUALLY DIFFICULT TO SUPPRESS DUE TO THE STRONG WINDS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A HIGH WIND WATCH MEANS THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A HAZARDOUS

HIGH WIND EVENT. SUSTAINED WINDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH...OR GUSTS OF
58 MPH OR STRONGER MAY OCCUR. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST
FORECASTS.

Wildfires in Texas

Current situation November 18, 2011:

Yesterday the Texas Forest Service responded to 2 new fires for 229 acres. Since wildfire season started on Nov. 15, 2010, firefighters have responded to 29,085 fires that have burned 3,972,566 acres and destroyed 2,912 homes and 2,808 other structures. Firefighters saved 38,581 homes and 12,984 other structures.

189 of the 254 Texas counties are reporting burn bans.

Daily detailed fire information can be found ticc.tamu.edu or at inciweb.org.

LAFD Technical Rescue, 3171 s Gaffey

LAFD 3171 S Gaffey, USAR and heavy rescue at scene, 2 men trapped in underground vault, 40 foot shaft, possible chemicals involved.

Wildfire, Reno NV, Major Incident

Caughlin IC reporting strong winds and structural loss in Reno NV, now a major incident.

-- The city of Reno, the rest of Washoe County and all of Nevada declared states of emergency Friday as a deadly wildfire swept through western Nevada, the governments announced on their websites.

One person has died as a result of the Caughlin Ranch Fire, Washoe County reported at 8:45 a.m. Friday. In addition, at least 20 structures had been destroyed by the blaze, which at that point had consumed more than 400 acres.

Firefighters are trying to protect other structures, but high winds are causing problems, Reno Fire Chief Michael Martinez said Friday. The National Weather Service forecast sustained southwest winds of 35 mph throughout the day, with gusts as strong as 55 mph.

Reno noted on its website that the local 211 information phone lines are overloaded, advising people to call 775-337-5800 instead for more information.

Galena High School in Reno has been set up as an evacuation center, and if that fills up, Damonte Ranch High School will serve the same purpose. The city of Reno estimated Friday that at least 9,500 people have been asked to leave their homes.

Animals in danger can be transported to the Livestock Events Center in Reno to ensure their safety, the county said.

All Washoe County schools in the Truckee Meadows area are have been closed.

Moreover, all residents in the fire zone and vicinity were urged to stay indoors due to deteriorating air quality, the Reno government noted.

Late Friday morning, after a briefing with local officials, Gov. Brian Sandoval wrote on his Twitter page, "Incredibly proud of the consolidated and coordinated response to the #CaughlinFire. They are doing an inspiring job!"

The governor also wrote that, besides the emergency declaration, "the state has also been approved for a FEMA grant. "

After peaking in the low 50s on Friday, temperatures were forecast to drop into the low 20s overnight in Reno with scattered snow showers possible, the National Weather Service said.

By the weekend, winds were expected to calm considerably, blowing from the west at 5 mph, with high temperatures in the 30s and 40s.

LAFD Task Force 90, Condominium Fire

A reported structure fire at Aqueduct and Norhdoff brought 51 firefighters to the scene, kncokdown in 21 minutes. Photos Jeff Zimmerman

Ref Flag Warning in Effect, LA, Ventura and San Bernardino Counties

RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM WEDNESDAY FOR THE MOUNTAINS OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES FOR STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS AND VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY... ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM WEDNESDAY FOR THE COASTAL AND VALLEY AREAS OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES AS WELL AS THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS FOR STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS AND VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...GUSTS BETWEEN 60 TO 70 MPH IN THE MOUNTAINS...50 TO 60 MPH IN THE VALLEYS...AND 40 TO 50 MPH ACROSS THE VENTURA COASTAL PLAIN...AS WELL AS THE LOS ANGELES COAST FROM MALIBU TO HOLLYWOOD HILLS. AS THE OFFSHORE WINDS DEVELOP...HUMIDITIES WILL RAPIDLY LOWER TO 15 PERCENT OR LESS ACROSS MOST OF THE WARNING AREA OVERNIGHT...WITH WIDESPREAD SINGLE DIGIT READINGS ON WEDNESDAY. OFFSHORE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY DIMINISH LATER WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...