California Faces Power Outage Risk as Dry Winds Fan Fire Threat

PG&E Corp. is warning that it may shut off power for some California residents as windy weather sweeps through in coming days.

Humidity will drop Saturday and Sunday as winds gust up to 50 miles per hour (80 kph) in California’s Central Valley, where red flag fire warnings have been issued, said Marc Chenard, a senior branch forecaster at the US Weather Prediction Center. In areas between the cities of Fresno and Bakersfield, the winds may reach 70 mph.

“It looks like the worst of it should be through the weekend,” said Chenard.

Utilities across the West often cut power ...