Blowin’ in the wind: Gusts reached 70 mph on some Bay Area mountain peaks this weekend

by Tony Hicks, Bay City News Foundation October 30, 2023October 30, 2023

Mount Saint Helena rises above a Calistoga grape vineyard in an undated Google Street View image. Wind speeds at the mountain's peak reached 70 mph over the weekend amid a Red Flag Warning weather advisory that was lifted Sunday evening. (Google image)

It was very windy in the Bay Area this weekend. But how windy was it? The National Weather Service said gusts on some of the region’s mountain tops hit nearly 70 mph.

The top of the tops occurred at Mount St. Helena in Sonoma County at 69 mph, followed by the Santa Fe Geothermal PG&E gauge in Sonoma and a Forest Lake PG&E property in Lake County at 68 mph.

Other notable windy locations included Mount Diablo at 66 mph and the nearby Diablo/Blackhawk area at 60 mph. Gusts hit 40 mph in a section of Livermore and 39 mph in Oakland.

Wind and low humidity prompted the NWS to issue a fire Red Flag Warning advisory from Saturday morning until Sunday evening, when it was lifted.

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