Two separate weather advisories are in effect until Sunday, September 13 at 2 a.m. for northern Nevada and parts of California.
A Red Flag warning is in effect for Carson City, as well as Douglas Storey, Lyon, western Mineral, and southern Washoe Counties in Nevada. In California, the whole of Alpine County and northern Mono County are affected. Southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts of 45 to 55 mph are expected.
A wind advisory is in place for the Greater Reno-Carson City-Minden area. Gusts of up to 65 miles per hour are possible in wind prone areas in Washoe Valley.
When asked about the wind, Zaedyn McIntosh, says, "it's kind of annoying, but it kind of chills everything down. But the dirt gets in your face and just makes you kinda feel nasty."
If you’re driving on Interstate 580 in Washoe Valley, prepare for wind-related closures. Monitor your GPS and give yourself extra time so you can take it easy.
If you're staying home like Gregory Cedillo's family, now's the time to make sure nothing blows away.
“We've been having to take in like our chairs and put them inside and our couch cushions because they just blow all over the place,” Cedillo says.
Your patio furniture isn't the only thing moving quickly in the wind.
Strong winds ramped up the severity of the Hawk Fire, growing it to over 10,000 acres on day one.
The National Weather Service says Saturday’s winds will get even stronger.
With that in mind, avoid literally anything that could create a spark.
That means no target shooting, no outdoor welding, and holding off on yard work, especially near dry grass or rocks.
If you're driving a trailer, keep the chains from dragging, and all drivers should avoid parking or driving on dry grass.
“Really try not to do anything stupid,” Cedillo says. “There's a lot of things out there that could cause a big fire, could affect multiple people."
Just in case a fire does break out, have a go bag and evacuation route prepared.
Tools like Perimeter Map and Watch Duty provide up-to-the-minute information on evacuation zones and fire perimeters. You can click the links above to access these tools, and Watch Duty is also available for download on Android and Apple devices.
