Strong winds could arrive Sunday increasing wildfire risk in Sonoma County

National Weather Service is monitoring the possibility of strong winds starting late this weekend that could increase wildfire risk in Sonoma County.

Dry, offshore winds ― blowing from east to west ― may arrive Sunday evening and last through Tuesday. Gusts could reach 20 mph to 30 mph in the North Bay valleys and may exceed 45 mph at higher elevations, said weather service meteorologist Roger Gass.

Gass said that while such a wind event has the potential to spark new fires, recent rains have wetted dried-out vegetation enough to lessen the chance of fast-spreading blazes like the ones that devastated the county last summer and fall.

“Given the (vegetation) fuel conditions, it’s not as likely we’ll need a red flag warning for this event,” Gass said, referring to the weather service’s highest alert for potential dangerous fire weather conditions.

Ahead of the possible winds, forecasters expect high temperatures from the mid-60s to lower 70s in the North Bay starting Friday. The unseasonably warm and dry weather should continue through early next week.

Rain is not forecast in the region for at least the next seven days, though the weather service is tracking a moderate storm system that could arrive around Jan. 22, Gass said.

“We may see a pattern shift for cooler conditions, and we could see some rain showers somewhere in that time frame,” he said.

You can reach Staff Writer Ethan Varian at ethan.varian@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5412. On Twitter @ethanvarian