Meteorologists call them the “Diablo,” They're hot, desiccating, northerly winds. And they are drastically increasing smoke from wildfires, blowing them from the North Bay southward.
The National Weather Service told SFGate that the forecast is for a thick layer of smoke to cover the Bay Area, as far out as the ocean. The North and East Bay will be the most affected areas, down to the South Bay Hills.
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warningthrough Wednesday afternoon because of high winds. The conditions also raise the risk of increasing wildfire in the North and East Bay, with the highest threat in the area of the northeast Napa mountains.
The high winds are also expected to further fuel the massive Dixie Fire, which is currently the nation’s largest. The blaze has already consumed more than 600,000 acres. The high offshore winds are expected to continue in the Bay Area at least through Thursday.
