National Weather Service issues high surf advisory for Sonoma County, Bay Area

A high surf advisory that includes Sonoma County will go into effect Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service said, with showers, isolated thunderstorms and gale-force winds possible in the outer waters.

Breakers along the Sonoma County coast are expected to reach heights of 18 to 22 feet. People visiting the beach Friday should use extreme caution and never turn their back to the ocean.

The advisory, which is tied to the arrival of a winter storm front, will be in place in Sonoma County Friday from 2 p.m. until midnight, said meteorologist Anna Schneider.

A small craft advisory was also issued Friday, cautioning mariners to seek safe harbor if possible or secure their vessels for severe conditions. That warning is in effect until 6 p.m. this evening.

An advisory regarding gale-force winds goes into effect at 6 p.m. Friday, with winds up to 40 miles per hour and gusts of 46 miles per hour. That warning will expire Saturday at 8 p.m.

“Strong winds will cause hazardous seas which could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility,” the warning read.

The NWS had also issued a wind advisory in Sonoma County early Friday morning, which expired at 10 a.m.

“We were expecting some gusty winds,” said meteorologist Anna Schneider. Thursday, the National Weather Service said winds were not expected to trigger an advisory, but speeds overnight indicated that the arrival of a storm system from the northwest made things “initially gustier than expected.”

Winds early Friday morning knocked out at least one transformer in Guerneville, sparking a fire around 2:52 a.m., according to a Redcom dispatcher.

Neighbors had put the fire out by the time a Sonoma County Fire crew arrived.

A second fire that burned an abandoned structure in the 14000 block of Mill Street, was not related to the wind event, said Rob Bisori, battalion chief with the Sonoma County Fire District. That fire made it about 50 feet from the structure it burned before firefighters stopped it.

“The humidity was up, so that really helped,” Bisori said.

You can reach Staff Writer Kaylee Tornay at 707-521-5250 or kaylee.tornay@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ka_tornay.