PG&E may shut off power in parts of up to 12 California counties as wind gusts arrive
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said it would “likely” turn off power for several thousand homes and businesses in up to 12 counties across Northern California, the North Bay area and the Central Valley this weekend and Monday due to high fire danger.
The utility company in a Friday alert said high winds and dry conditions forecast in those regions have prompted a public safety power shutoff watch for the following three days, which could affect more than 5,700 homes and businesses, more than half of them in the northern Sacramento Valley county of Tehama.
The company said parts of Colusa, Glenn, Shasta and Tehama counties are included in Saturday’s shutoff alert.
According to PG&E’s online outage map, a Saturday shutoff would cut power to about 3,150 homes and businesses in Tehama County, more than 550 in Colusa County, more than 350 in Glenn County and close to 270 in Shasta County, for a total of more than 4,300 Northern California customers.
Sunday’s potential shutoff could include parts of 11 counties: Butte, Colusa, Fresno, Glenn, Kern, Lake, Napa, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama and Yolo. Monday’s shutoff would include up to six counties: Butte, Kern, Lake, Napa, Sonoma and Tehama.
Close to 500 would likely lose power in Kern County and about 430 in Butte County, PG&E said.
The online map showed Fresno, Lake, Napa and Yolo counties each ranging from 50 to 100 customers expected to lose power if a so-called PSPS is imposed. Deliberate shutoffs would affect 29 customers in Stanislaus County, according to the map, and just three in Sonoma County.
PG&E in recent years has imposed planned power shutoffs in the face of dire wildfire weather. The utility company’s equipment has been blamed for sparking some of the worst fires in state history, including the 2018 Camp Fire that devastated Paradise, and PG&E Corp. has been found liable for billions of dollars worth of destruction.
Many of California’s worst wildfires in recent years have come during early autumn, when wind gusts pick up as vegetation remains dry from summer.
Gusty winds expected, along with some rain and Sierra snow
PG&E in its alert message said “gusty north-northwesterly winds up to 25-40 mph” are expected in the northern Sacramento Valley.
The National Weather Service has a fire weather watch in place for the central and southern Sierra Nevada mountains, beginning Friday evening and lasting through Saturday morning. Forecasters expect gusts that could kick up to 60 mph in parts of the foothills, with 90 mph possible along higher ridges.
The weather service as of Friday morning had not issued any red flag warnings for critical wildfire weather in Northern California.
The weekend weather shift will also see light showers Saturday in some parts of California, including a chance of rain Saturday in Sacramento, as well as light snow accumulation at high mountain elevations, according to the weather service.
This story was originally published October 21, 2022 at 10:48 AM with the headline "PG&E may shut off power in parts of up to 12 California counties as wind gusts arrive."
