Wildfires will continue to burn out of control this weekend in parts of California. Meanwhile, additional periods of torrential rainfall could flood parts of southern Florida.
West Coast
Wildfires have been scorching areas of California for weeks, even months in some cases. Northern California in particular has been hit hard since the region has been in various stages of a drought almost all year.
With the combination of abundant fuel for fires — brush, woods, forests, etc. — and drought, periods of windy weather and occasional heat waves, it’s not surprising that fires have easily sparked and quickly spread. These conditions will persist through the weekend, making it difficult for first responders to contain some of the wildfires.
Speaking of heat waves, possible record temperatures are in the forecast Friday from the San Francisco Bay area to Los Angeles and San Diego. Coastal highs will reach the upper 80s to mid-90s, with some inland areas cracking 100 degrees. These are 10 to 25 degrees above normal for early October. Red flag warnings, heat advisories and fire condition warnings remain in place across many portions of the state.
Weekend drivers may run into smoke and reduced visibility on sections of Interstate 5 and U.S. Highway 101 in Northern California.
As of Friday morning, sections of the following roads remain closed due to wildfires, according to the California Department of Transportation:
• State Route 70 east of Chico
• State Route 36 west of Red Bluff
• State Route 12 east of Santa Rosa
• State Route 29/128 Woodleaf to St. Helena
East Coast
Parts of south Florida have been flooded from time to time over the past couple of days. This risk will linger into the weekend and early next week.
A stationary front across the region is interacting with abundant moisture from a tropical wave in the Caribbean. The result will be additional periods of very heavy rainfall and flash flooding from the Florida Keys to Miami, West Palm Beach and areas just south of Fort Lauderdale. A flash flood watch remains posted for these areas.
Drivers may hit occasional delays on U.S. Highway 1, as well as parts of Alligator Alley (I-75) and I-95. Short-term road closures are possible.
