'This could be strongest wind event in years': NWS warns of falling trees and power lines

Bicyclists and joggers head up The Embacadero below clouds gathering in the sky in San Francisco, Calif. on Friday, Feb. 1, 2019 before a rainstorm is expected to soak the area this evening. Bicyclists and joggers head up The Embacadero below clouds gathering in the sky in San Francisco, Calif. on Friday, Feb. 1, 2019 before a rainstorm is expected to soak the area this evening. Photo: Paul Chinn / The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Paul Chinn / The Chronicle Image 1 of / 29 Caption Close 'This could be strongest wind event in years': NWS warns of falling trees and power lines 1 / 29 Back to Gallery

Lashing winds with isolated gusts up to 80 mph will accompany a powerful winter storm poised to barrel across the Bay Area Friday night.

On Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service upgraded a high wind watch to a more severe warning in effect 3 p.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Saturday for the entire region.

"Trees and power lines will go down with near-certainty," says Ryan Walbrun, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Bay Area. "Stuff will be flying around the city. Scaffolding will be coming off buildings. Trees falling on cars and houses and everything."

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While more typical wind events impact higher elevations, this system will also blow howling winds into the valleys.

"I think the concern with this one, is it will be a widespread damaging wind event even in lower elevations that usually don't get strong winds," Walbrun says.

Southeast winds will average 25 mph to 35 mph with isolated gusts ranging from 50 mph to 65 mph and possibly even up to 80 mph.

The wind will most likely start to crank up between 3 p.m and 5 p.m. Friday with the strongest velocities occurring between 10 p.m. and Saturday morning.

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Daniel Swain, a climatologist at UC Los Angeles, points to weather models indicating "this could be the strongest wind event in at least several years" in coastal Northern California.

Walbrun says it's difficult to quantify the event, but has no doubt, it will cause damage.

"It's a very deep surface low that happens to be west of the Golden Gate this time," he says. "it definitely has the potential to be severe."