Gusty winds, heat predicted this week for Sonoma County

The National Weather Service is warning inland Sonoma County residents to watch for potential wildfires Thursday and Friday as the forecast calls for gusty winds and higher temperatures.

Brooke Bingeman, meteorologist for the region with the National Weather Service in Monterey, said while Santa Rosa and other inland North Bay areas are only “on the edge” of where the greatest fire concern exists in the northern Central Valley, it is a time to “stay alert and do everything we can to avoid a fire start.”

Wednesday is expected to be the hottest day, in the upper 80s to low 90s, contributing to drying conditions, though high winds aren’t predicted until Thursday, Bingeman said. The strongest gusts of 25 to 35 mph are expected Thursday evening into Friday morning, Bingeman said.

“It’s when these stronger winds occur that we’ll have higher concerns about fire weather conditions,” she said.

Daily high temperatures in Santa Rosa are expected to hover around 84 degrees on Thursday and 79 degrees on Friday. Coastal highs will be in the mid-70s.

The weather service has issued a red flag warning for fire weather on Thursday and Friday across a wide swath of Northern California. In the North Bay, it includes parts of Napa and Solano counties.

You can reach Staff Writer Kathleen Coates at kathleen.coates@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5209.