The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for Bay Area locations sitting above 1,000 feet, as well as select low-lying areas, as the region waves goodbye to 2018.
The wind advisory was expanded late Sunday to include more densely populated areas such as the Peninsula, the East Bay bayshore and the Tri-Valley area, increasing chances of fallen trees, forecasters said.
For higher elevation areas between late Sunday night and Tuesday morning, northerly winds are expected to blow anywhere from 20 to 35 mph, according to the weather service. Gusts could peak between 60 and 70 mph in some spots.
For locations near the San Francisco Bay and the Delta on Monday, wind speeds are expected to check in anywhere from 15 to 25 mph with gusts topping out as high as 45 mph, the weather service reported.
The weather service warned that the blustery conditions could topple trees and power lines as well as cause tree limbs to come crashing down.
In Fremont on Monday, a large tree fell across multiple lanes of Liberty Street, forcing a closure of the roadway between Walnut Avenue and Sundale Drive.
High winds could also make for challenging driving conditions for those behind the wheel of taller vehicles or those pulling trailers.
The high winds also will have a significant impact on ocean waters along the California coast, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. In a release Sunday, the agency issued a caution to mariners and beachgoers to prepare for heavy sea conditions and high winds expected over the next few days.
The Bay Area is expected to experience gale-force winds up to 40 knots and seas up to 11 feet, the Coast Guard said, prompting the following precautions:
- Monitor the weather and heed all marine warnings.
- Double-check mooring lines when securing boats and take precautions for items stored loosely aboard.
- Secure all paddle craft so they do not end up in the water and cause a false distress.
- Recreational boaters, personal watercraft and paddle craft users are advised to stay off the water due to hazardous sea conditions.
- Swimmers, surfers and wind surfers are urged to stay out of the water during this period of heavy weather due to increased risk of drowning from rip currents and sneaker waves.
- If mariners get underway, they should create a float plan and send it to friends and families before getting underway, which consists of a description of the vessel, the number of people aboard, the destination and the expected return time.
- Always wear a proper life jacket when on the water and use VHF-FM channel 16 to notify rescuers in the event of an emergency.
