WATSONVILLE — Wet and windy weather out of the Gulf of Alaska is expected to drift into the Monterey Bay Area late Tuesday and dampen the area, on and off, through Friday.
At least two winter weather systems are lined up that could drench the region and help chase away a blanket of smoke that has plagued the area for the past 11 days from the Camp Fire in Butte County, north of Sacramento.
“Right now our weather models are showing that a trough of low pressure is approaching the coast,” said Steve Anderson, meteorologist with the National Weather Service of Monterey. “Gradual winds from the south will start blowing the smoky air out of the area starting today through Wednesday. Look for rain Wednesday just before noon. A classic Gulf of Alaska winter-type storm is in the works. We can expect rain in the low lands and snow in the Sierra. This will be the first Sierra snow of the season.”
Anderson said there will be rain on Wednesday and into early Thursday, which “will be light, on and off.” Later Thursday there will be a break in the weather, Anderson said, but another round of light rain is expected to dampen the region on Friday. Anderson said the total rainfall — Wednesday through Friday — should amount to a half-inch to one-inch.
Meanwhile, fire officials said the Northern California wildfire, which has killed at least 77 people, continues to burn in rugged terrain, but firefighters have managed to boost their containment of the blaze.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Monday that the fire is now 66 percent contained. That’s up from 60 percent Sunday morning and represents a slight increase from the 65 percent containment reported Sunday night.
The fire has charred 236 square-miles since it ignited Nov. 8 near Paradise, a town of 27,000 that was leveled. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said Sunday that about 1,000 names remain on a list of people who have not been located.
Rain is in the forecast for Wednesday in the Paradise area, which could help the 5,000 firefighters battling the blaze make more progress. But officials say they worry rain could complicate the efforts of the crews searching for human remains. Also, Battalion Chief Jake Hess of Cal Fire at Corralitos said rain could generate mudslides since so much vegetation has been burned.
Anderson said the upcoming rains will amount to the most rain to hit the Monterey Bay Area since last spring. Additionally, a small craft advisory is in effect Tuesday and Wednesday.
“There will be winds ahead of the storm front at 15-20 miles per hour with gusts up to 25 miles per hour,” he said. “Seas will be 7-10 feet.”
Anderson did offer words of caution for Thanksgiving holiday travelers: “Wednesday will bring wet conditions and slick roads. You will need chains if you’re going over the Sierra. There’s also a good chance of delayed flights out of San Francisco due to wet weather.”
Hess said two strike teams from Santa Cruz County are currently out of county dealing with the Camp Fire.
He said that firefighters were still on the scene of the Buzzard Fire that broke out in the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park early Sunday in Corralitos near on Buzzard Lagoon at Rider Road. Three firefighters were injured in that incident as they tried to escape a falling tree. They were treated and released, officials said. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Meanwhile, the Bear Fire, which got underway Friday afternoon above Boulder Creek, burned one structure and about eight acres of rugged mountain terrain. Firefighters remained on the scene Monday. An official at Cal Fire in Felton said the Bear Fire and the Buzzard Fire were 100 percent contained.
