Power outages hit thousands in California as diablo winds blow in

Thousands of Northern California residents are facing power outages as Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) shut off electricity across 12 counties due to the strong, dry “Diablo winds,” which have heightened wildfire risks in the region.

By Friday morning, around 13,000 customers had lost power, according to PG&E, with the outages expected to continue through the weekend.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued red flag warnings for fire danger across California, covering areas from the central coast to northern Shasta County. Meanwhile, meteorologists predict winds of up to 35 miles per hour, with gusts reaching as high as 65 mph in the mountains.

“This could end up being the most significant wind event for this year so far. We want to tell people to be cautious,” said Brayden Murdock, a meteorologist with the NWS Bay Area office, the Associated Press reported.

Diablo winds, which are common in the fall, occur when hot, dry air blows from California’s interior toward the coast. This phenomenon dries out vegetation, creating dangerous conditions for wildfires.

PG&E implemented power shutoffs to prevent potential fire hazards from its power lines during the high-risk period. Counties affected include Alameda, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, and more in the northern part of the state​. Meanwhile, PG&E warned that additional shutoffs could affect up to 20,000 customers in the coming days.

These measures are part of a broader strategy aimed at avoiding disasters similar to past fire seasons, which were exacerbated by downed power lines​.

Southern California is also bracing for another wind event, the Santa Ana winds.

Known for their warm, gusty conditions, these winds are expected to affect Los Angeles County and surrounding areas. Meteorologists are predicting gusts of up to 55 mph in the Santa Monica and San Gabriel mountains.

“Humidities are drying out and we have the winds, if we had a fire spark it could really spread quickly because of the current conditions,” said Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the NWS’s Los Angeles-area office, the AP reported.

He explained that winds around greater Los Angeles won’t be as powerful as up north, with gusts between 25 and 40 mph (40 and 64 kph) possible in mountains and foothills.

Power outages remain a possibility in Southern California as utilities monitor the situation, with red flag warnings remaining in place through the weekend for several parts of the region.

Meanwhile, the Sierra Nevada faces its own set of challenges, as snowfall is forecast for mountaintops near Lake Tahoe. Winds around the lake could gust up to 70 mph, and the NWS issued the first freeze warning of the season, predicting temperatures could drop into the low 20s Fahrenheit.

“Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation, and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing,” the NWS warned.

The warning covers areas from Carson City in Nevada to northern California​.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.