PG&E is warning that it may cut power to parts of the North Bay again this week, only days after its last round of wildfire safety shutoffs ended. The utility says a new offshore wind event will run from Wednesday, Oct. 14, through Saturday, Oct. 17, and that a Public Safety Power Shutoff could begin late Wednesday.

Who could lose power

About 30,000 customers in targeted areas of 22 counties are in scope, including about 2,000 people in PG&E's Medical Baseline program for customers with medical needs, the utility said. Here are the Bay Area numbers from PG&E's county list:

  • Sonoma County: 1,216 customers, including 52 Medical Baseline customers
  • Napa County: 419 customers, including 22 Medical Baseline customers
  • Solano County: 30 customers, including 1 Medical Baseline customer

No other Bay Area county was on the list as of PG&E's Monday announcement. The biggest numbers are elsewhere: 8,306 customers in Butte County and 7,729 in San Luis Obispo County. PG&E stresses that counts and locations can change as the forecast changes, and this is a warning, not a confirmed shutoff.

The utility says about 3,000 customers who lost power last weekend could be affected again. In that event, PG&E shut off about 10,400 customers in Colusa, Glenn, Shasta, Tehama and Yolo counties early Sunday before issuing an all-clear Monday, CBS Sacramento reported.

The forecast behind it

PG&E says the strongest winds are expected in the Sierra, the southern Central Coast and parts of the North and East Bay. The National Weather Service office for the Bay Area says offshore winds will come in rounds, mostly overnight into late morning, and look strongest over the interior North Bay mountains and the Diablo Range. The night of Wednesday into Thursday is the one forecasters are watching most, with gusts of 25 to 35 mph and up to 45 mph on exposed ridges, gaps and passes.

The wind arrives with a warm-up. The weather service expects highs in the upper 80s to low 90s on Thursday and Friday, with mid to upper 90s possible in the Santa Cruz Mountains and southern Santa Clara Valley, plus moderate HeatRisk. Cooler weather should return over the weekend. Forecasters warned that fuels are dry and that any sparks could spread fire quickly.

How to check your address and prepare

PG&E began sending texts, emails and automated calls late Monday, about two days ahead of a possible shutoff. Customers can look up their address at pge.com/pspsupdates. The utility says staff will try to visit Medical Baseline customers in person if they don't confirm they got the warning, focusing on people who rely on life-sustaining equipment.

If shutoffs happen, PG&E plans to open Community Resource Centers in affected counties with accessible restrooms, device charging, Wi-Fi, blankets, air conditioning, water and snacks. Hours and locations will be posted on the same PSPS page. Before Wednesday night, it's worth charging phones and backup batteries, keeping flashlights handy and checking on neighbors who rely on powered medical devices.

Bay Area Brief will update this story if PG&E adds Bay Area counties or confirms shutoffs.