PG&E Power Shutoffs Possible as Low Level Wind Event Approaches

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PG&E is telling customers in 22 Northern California counties including Napa, Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino to be prepared to once again have their power shut off this week, as a low level but potentially dangerous wind event approaches.

The power shutoffs could affect 264 thousand customers, including 40 thousand in Sonoma County, 11 thousand in Napa County, 13 thousand in Lake County, 3 thousand in Mendocino County, and 23 thousand in Marin County.

The utility says only that the shutoffs could begin early Wednesday, and continue through the morning Thursday before power begins to be re-energized. To find out if your address is potentially impacted, go here:

PGE ADDRESS LOOKUP TOOL

If it comes, the PG&E PSPS will be the 6th one this year, and 5th in the last two months alone.

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the hills of the North Bay and East Bay above 1000 feet, from late Tuesday to early Thursday. The danger, say forecasters, is the expected combination of brisk wind, low humidity, and extremely low fuel moisture levels as the region continues to await the first real soaking rain of the season.

However, the National Weather Service says this wind event will be nowhere near as strong as our October windstorms.

Beginning late on Tuesday or early Wednesday, winds are forecast to ramp up across the hills and mountains of the Sacramento Valley, the North Bay and the East Bay. Most models show sustained surface winds peaking at around 25-30 mph with gusts to 45 on Wednesday morning, with the strongest winds at the surface staying largely to our east.

Much weaker than our wind events of October. This is the GFS model outlook for surface winds.

And the European model agrees.

On the highest peaks, above 2500 feet, winds will be stronger, perhaps reaching up to 35-50 miles per hour for a time Wednesday according to the GFS model, and perhaps extending further west.

But, even on the highest peaks, experts agree this will be a far weaker wind event than those we experienced in October.

For its part, PG&E is saying that the extent of the power shutoffs will depend on the details of wind forecasts as the weather system approaches. News of the North Bay will update this story as conditions warrant.