The windiest weather in months is anticipated to whip the Bay Area and other portions of Northern California for at least the next four days.
San Francisco was already buffeted by breezy conditions earlier in the week, but even stronger winds are expected Friday through Sunday. Rough seas whipped up by the winds will pose danger to surfers and mariners, and critical fire weather conditions are expected in the Central Valley. Turbulence could also impact flights at San Francisco International Airport.
Northwest winds often flow down the California coast from mid spring through summer as the North Pacific High — a large area of semipermanent high pressure — expands over the ocean. Winds are drawn inland by an area of low pressure in the Central Valley that forms each afternoon due to warm air rising from the surface, leaving room for cool, dense ocean-chilled air to fill the void…