From Cliff Mass:
Major Potential for Strong Winds and Wildfires in Northern California
Later this week there is the potential for strong Diablo winds over northern California; winds of sufficient strength to pose a major wildfire threat.
Currently, a far weaker wind event is occurring over northern California--as a result the power utility (PG&E) has shut off power to roughly ten thousand customers, including those near Paradise and Chico, CA.
The sea level pressure pattern this morning (8AM) shows high pressure pushing into the Northwest and southeastward into the intermountain region. This high pressure is associated with cold air (green colors) in the interior. Note the lower pressure and warm air over the CA coastal zone. The result of this pattern is a large pressure gradient over the Sierra Nevada and northern CA that produce strong wind. (Winds accelerate from high to low pressure near terrain).
Sucks to be them. But it gets worse:
But today's minor blow is nothing compared to what will happen on Wednesday and Thursday.
By 5 AM on Wednesday, very cold, dense air, associated with high sea level pressure, will surge into the Pacific Northwest (see below). Yes...that will bring more snow to the Cascades and Rockies.
At the leading edge of the cold air, there will be a large pressure difference (gradient) the produces strong winds. The image below for 5 AM shows an intense pressure gradient over northern California. But it will get stronger and move south.
Cliff has the weather maps - looks like we will get some of it here in the pacific northwet but California is going to get creamed but good.
Here is an emergency prep list we wish everyone took seriously. They are preparing for big winds in California by shutting down the electric grid for perhaps hundreds of thousands of customers for up to 3 days and an additional 2 days restart delay.
https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2019/10/08/bay-area-power-outage-survival-guide/