Alertes en vigueur Coastal North Bay Including Point Reyes National Seashore

* WHAT...South winds 15 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected,locally higher gusts greater than 65 mph are possible above 2,500feet.* WHERE...Coastal and higher elevation regions of the North Bay, thecity of San Francisco, the East Bay and Santa Clara Hills, SantaCruz Mountains and San Mateo, the Gabilan Range, the Santa LuciaRange, southern Monterey Bay, and coastal Big Sur.* WHEN...Until 10 PM PST Friday.* IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Treelimbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Thecombination of wind and moist soils will increase the risk fordowned trees particularly across the North Bay.* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...A narrow frontal rain band is expected todevelop Thursday night into Friday which will result in gustysouth winds ahead of and during its passage. Winds will start toease by late Friday after the frontal rain band has progressed outof the region. Moderate to heavy rains over the last 48 hours havesaturated soils across the North Bay which will lead to increasedrisk of downed trees and power lines as gusty winds redevelop.

Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for highprofile vehicles. Use extra caution.Secure outdoor objects.

* WHAT...Large breaking waves between 14 to 19 ft alongsouthwest facing beaches and between 19 to 22 ft along wellexposed west facing beaches.* WHERE...San Francisco, Coastal North Bay Including Point ReyesNational Seashore, San Francisco Peninsula Coast and SouthernMonterey Bay and Big Sur Coast.* WHEN...Until 6 AM PST Friday.* IMPACTS...Dangerous swimming and surfing conditions andlocalized beach erosion. Large waves can sweep across thebeach without warning, pulling people into the sea from rocks,jetties and beaches. Sudden immersion in cold water can resultin cold water shock even for the most experienced swimmers.Cold water shock can result in dramatic changes in breathing,heart rate and blood pressure, greatly increasing the risk ofdrowning in rough open waters.

Inexperienced swimmers should remain out of the water due todangerous surf conditions.