The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for much of the Bay Area this weekend because of a combination of strong winds and low humidity that pose an elevated risk of wildfire danger.
The warning is in effect between 5 a.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday for much of the North Bay, the East Bay hills and valleys, the hills of Santa Clara County, the Santa Cruz Mountains and coastal San Mateo County.
On Saturday, the NWS also expanded its warning to include the Santa Lucia Mountain Range along the Central Coast.
Wind gusts of up to 60 mph are expected at the highest elevations, according to the weather service, which upgraded the warning from a Fire Weather Watch previously issued for the region.
Before the dry and windy weather comes, a Frost Advisory is in effect from late Friday into Saturday morning for the North Bay valleys because of near-freezing temperatures between 33 and 36 degrees in the area.
The weather service warned that the cold weather could cause hazards for unsheltered people as well as pets, plants and pipes.
Fire risk levels are expected to ease in the Bay Area beginning Monday.
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