Thousands of people in California are affected by power outages as Diablo winds blow

Thousands of Northern California residents are facing power outages as Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) shut off power in 12 counties due to strong, dry “Diablo winds” that have increased the risk of wildfires in the region.

As of Friday morning, about 13,000 customers had lost power, according to PG&E, and the outages are expected to last through the weekend.

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned of fire danger across California, covering areas from the central coast to northern Shasta County. Meanwhile, meteorologists are predicting wind speeds of up to 56 km/h, with gusts of up to 100 km/h in the mountains.

“This could be the most significant wind event so far this year. We want to urge people to be careful,” said Brayden Murdock, meteorologist at the NWS Bay Area office, the Associated Press reported.

Diablo winds, common in the fall, occur when hot, dry air blows toward the coast from inland California. This phenomenon dries out vegetation and creates dangerous conditions for wildfires.

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

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

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

These winds are known for their warm, gusty conditions and are expected to impact Los Angeles County and surrounding areas. Meteorologists are predicting gusts of up to 55 miles per hour for the Santa Monica and San Gabriel mountains.

“The humidity is drying out and we have winds. If we had a spark of fire, it could spread very quickly based on current conditions,” said Mike Wofford, meteorologist at the NWS Los Angeles area office, the AP reported.

He explained that winds in the greater Los Angeles area will not be as strong as in the north, with gusts between 25 and 40 miles per hour (40 and 64 km/h) possible in mountains and foothills.

Power outages may continue to occur in Southern California as utilities monitor the situation and warning signals are in effect in several parts of the region through the weekend.

Meanwhile, the Sierra Nevada faces its own challenges as snowfall is forecast on mountain peaks near Lake Tahoe. Wind gusts of up to 70 miles per hour could occur around the lake, and the NWS issued the first freeze warning of the season, predicting temperatures could fall below 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

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

The warning applies to areas from Carson City, Nevada to Northern California.

This article contains reporting from The Associated Press.