A red flag warning is in effect for the Central Coast and Santa Cruz Mountains from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday as lightning and strong winds enter the forecast.
Moisture high in the atmosphere from Former Tropical Storm Iselle is raising the odds for thunderstorms with little to no rainfall, primarily in Central California. Precipitation originating above 10,000 feet in the sky will mostly evaporate as it falls through thousands of feet of dry air before reaching the ground. Rainfall totals of a tenth of an inch or less are expected.
The rain-cooled air will spur “erratic outflow winds” that could cause “rapid fire spread” for new lightning-sparked blazes and the ongoing Timber and Plaskett fires, the National Weather Service said in its warning. Strong gusts of 40 to 50 mph are possible…