Updated July 3, 10:55 a.m.
An expected seven-day stretch of “major to extreme” high temperatures have prompted Northern California officials to issue heat, fire and power warnings.
The heat set in on Monday, with high temperatures recorded at 102 degrees in downtown Sacramento, according to the National Weather Service. That heat is expected to be at its highest between Wednesday and Sunday, with little relief at night.
Daytime high temperatures in Sacramento will hover around 110 degrees through Sunday, said Courtney Carpenter, a meteorologist with the weather service in Sacramento. And on Monday, it'll be only slightly cooler with an expected high of 105.
“It is unusual to see heat of this magnitude early in July,” Carpenter said. “Our temperatures are forecasted to be some 10 to 20 degrees above normal for this time of year."
That outlook has prompted meteorologists at the weather service to issue an excessive heat warning for the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys from Tuesday through Sunday night, cautioning Californians to “drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.”
“Heat could significantly impact outdoor holiday activities,” the advisory goes on to read. “Area waterways will continue to run cold and fast, creating dangerous conditions for those seeking relief in rivers and lakes.”
John Mendoza, 35, called it a “firehose of heat” as he walked around the Capitol on Tuesday morning with an iced coffee in his hand. By 9 a.m., he had already been in a pool once — and planned to go back later in the day.
“I felt like I needed to be submerged in water,” he said.
Heightened wildfire risk
In addition to high temperatures, portions of Northern California are expected to see a combination of gusty winds and low humidity.
Carpenter said in Sacramento, northerly winds could reach speeds between 10 and 20 mph, with gusts up to 30 mph.
The weather service has also issued a red flag warning for the increased risk of fire danger through Wednesday at 8 p.m.
Forecasters warned that the “Sacramento Valley, generally west of Interstate 5 and elevations below 3,000 feet” are under the highest threat, and that weather conditions could “cause fire to rapidly grow in size and intensity.”
About 70 miles north of Sacramento, crews working in scorching conditions were battling a wildfire in Butte County that forced the evacuation of about 13,000 households in and around Oroville. The blaze, dubbed the Thompson Fire, broke out before noon and sent up a huge plume of smoke as it swiftly grew to more than 3 square miles by evening, with zero containment.
Firefighters lined roads, trying to keep the flames from reaching homes as helicopters dropped water on the fast-moving blaze.
The governor's office announced late Tuesday that federal funding had been approved to help with firefighting efforts. Earlier this week, Gov. Gavin Newsom activated the State Operations Center to coordinate California's response, dispatch mutual aid and support local communities as they respond to threats of wildfire and excessive heat.
Ahead of the anticipated heat, some recreation agencies took precautionary measures. That includes Sierra Pacific Industries, which owns nearly 2.5 million acres of forestland on the West Coast. Last week, SPI announced it was closing walk-in access to its properties in California, citing wildfire risk — and that will remain in effect until moisture levels and long-range weather forecasts improve.
Expected impacts on the power grid
PG&E notified 12,000 customers that it may turn off power on Tuesday in 10 counties — Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, Shasta, Tehama and Yolo — as part of a Public Safety Power Shutoff.
And on Tuesday morning, the power utility announced it had begun shutting off power for around 2,000 customers in eight counties and a tribal community in Colusa County. Shutoffs have been delayed to Wednesday for customers in Glenn and Shasta counties.
Sacramento Municipal Utility District, a community-owned electric utility that’s based in the City of Trees, said on Monday that they have enough power to meet demand, “barring a grid or other emergency such as wildfire or unexpected significant power shortfall.”
Cooling centers open in the Sacramento region
Agencies across the Sacramento region are opening cooling centers as the heat intensifies.
Sacramento city officials announced late last week that they’d open the Outreach and Engagement Center and the Sam & Bonnie Pannell Community Center as cooling centers for those without consistent access to home cooling.
The OEC, located at 3615 Auburn Blvd., opened Monday and will continue operation between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. through Sunday. The center accepts pets and has storage available for visitors’ personal belongings.
The Sam & Bonnie Pannell Community Center, located at 2450 Meadowview Road, opened Monday. The center will be available to visitors between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. through Friday this week — except on the Fourth of July, when the center will be closed.
County officials also announced plans to open cooling centers across the region. Their locations are as follows:
- North A Emergency Shelter at 1400 North A Street in North Sacramento, open from 1 to 10 p.m. daily through Sunday. County officials noted that this location “has very limited capacity for pets.”
- Sacramento County Service Center at 3331 Peacekeeper Way in McClellan, open from noon to 8 p.m. daily through Sunday.
- Citrus Heights Police Department lobby at 6315 Fountain Square Drive, open from noon to 8 p.m. daily through Friday. No pets are accepted.
- Rancho Cordova City Hall at 2729 Prospect Park Drive, open from 2 to 8 p.m. through Sunday. No pets are accepted and the office will be closed for Fourth of July.
- Elk Grove Wackford Community Center at 9014 Bruceville Road, open from noon to 8 p.m. daily through Sunday.
- Galt Police Station Lobby at 455 Industrial Drive, open from noon to 8 p.m. daily through Friday.
- Folsom Police Station Lobby at 46 Natoma Street, open from noon to 7 p.m. daily through Sunday. The office will be closed on the Fourth of July and does not accept pets.
Sacramento Regional Transit District is offering free bus and light rail rides to and from the community centers. Riders must present this flier to fare collectors to be eligible for the free ride.
Yolo County is also opening several cooling centers between 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Sunday, including at the following locations:
- Yolo Branch Library at 37750 Sacramento Street
- Winters Community Library at 708 Railroad Ave.
- Esparto Regional Library at 17065 Yolo Ave.
What’s next
It could be more than a week before the Sacramento region sees temperatures under the century-mark, Carpenter said. She added that there's a slight chance of cooling next week but forecasters are still pretty uncertain as to when a big relief comes.
“We're looking at the potential for a few daily records, all-time July records and consecutive streaks above 100 and 105 to be broken at a few of our climate sites,” she said.
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