The National Weather Service (NWS) logo. The NWS provides weather, water, and climate data, forecasts and warnings for the protection of life and property and enhancement of the national economy. (NWS via Bay City News)

Thanks to decreased offshore winds, a Red Flag Warning that had been in place since early Saturday morning expired as of 5 p.m. Sunday, The National Weather Service said. 

However, NWS said conditions remain “critically dry,” and will stay that way for the next few days. Bay Area residents are urged to avoid any outdoor burning, driving vehicles over dry vegetation, and operating outdoor machines such as lawn mowers, which can spark and ignite a fire. 

The warning was for much of the North Bay, the East Bay hills and valleys, the hills of Santa Clara County, the Santa Cruz Mountains and coastal San Mateo County.

A Red Flag Warning means that fire risk levels are elevated. 

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.