After a gloriously warm Sunday across the Bay Area, temperatures will slowly rise on Monday, reaching a 10-degree jump by Tuesday morning, bringing sweltering heat to much of the region on Independence Day and thru the remaining of the week.
The National Weather Service has issued an “Extreme Heat Warning” for much of the Bay Area from Tuesday morning through 11 p.m. Friday, with the warning focused on hills and inland areas.
“It will stay hot for a very long time,” said weather service meteorologist Nicole Sarment. “The most important thing is that it will not just be a one-day event. We are talking about six, seven days.”
PG&E also issued a notice that safety-related power outages are “likely” to occur in certain parts of Solano and Napa counties on Tuesday as a consequence of heat, dry conditions and high winds. Other counties facing power outages include Glenn, Colusa and Lake. The weather service also issued a fireplace warning for parts of the northwest Sacramento Valley and adjoining foothills between Tuesday morning and Tuesday evening, as gusty winds and low humidity might be expected.
So far, the forecast of excessive heat has not prompted the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to issue the Spare the Air alert this week. However, air quality is anticipated to be within the moderate range between 50 and 100 on the Air Quality Index (AQI) through Thursday. That means people who find themselves unusually sensitive to air quality should consider limiting their time outdoors.
Highs of 110, 108, 107 and 106 degrees are expected in Concord, Brentwood, Livermore and Walnut Creek on Tuesday, with daytime highs in those cities more likely to remain above 100 degrees at the least through July 4. Daytime temperatures in San Jose could reach 100 degrees this week, with highs of 102 degrees expected in Morgan Hill on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The extreme heat poses a fireplace risk. Weather Service meteorologist Rachel Kennedy also said authorities are warning people to not set off fireworks on July 4.
Cities along the coast and the San Francisco Bay area won't be quite as hot, and are under a “heat warning” relatively than an “excessive heat warning.” Berkeley and Oakland are expected to see temperatures of a comparatively mild 80 degrees this week, but San Mateo, Palo Alto and San Leandro are expected to be hotter, with daytime highs within the 80s.
The heat should ease somewhat in coastal areas, with temperatures above 25 degrees expected in Half Moon Bay this week. However, temperatures in Santa Cruz could rise to above 28 degrees starting Tuesday and on July 4. Kennedy said if there’s a cooling marine layer along the coast this week, it must be “pretty shallow.”
For people in cities under an extreme heat warning, the NWS has raised concerns concerning the “life-threatening effects” of heat-related illnesses that may occur when individuals are exposed to extreme heat for several days.
The weather service said in its forecast that individuals should view this “ongoing heat wave” as “a marathon, not a sprint” with regards to taking steps to attenuate its impacts.
“This affects not only heat-sensitive individuals, but the entire population,” the NWS said. “Heat over such a long period of time and at these temperatures can be dangerous for anyone.”
What makes this heat wave particularly intense is that individuals shouldn't expect overnight temperatures to offer them much relief, Kennedy said. Starting Tuesday and Wednesday, temperatures within the mountains and inland could possibly be within the low 70s and high 80s overnight, she said. The effects of the warmth might be magnified if it doesn't cool down overnight, which might result in rising baseline temperatures the subsequent morning, Sarment also said.
When an extreme heat warning or alert is in place, the weather service advises people not to have interaction in outdoor activities between 10 a.m. and seven p.m. They should definitely activate the air-con in the event that they have it. If they don't have it, they need to spend a while in air-conditioned environments, similar to stores, movie theaters, libraries, restaurants or cold storage.
The weather service also advises people to drink loads of fluids and to contact relatives and neighbors who’re in danger. Children and pets shouldn’t be left unattended in cars, as temperatures there can quickly turn into fatal.
Kennedy said the recent weather is affecting much of California. Death Valley was already sweltering with temperatures reaching 48 degrees on Sunday night. Death Valley, often considered the most popular place on earth, is anticipated to see temperatures as high as 49 degrees on Tuesday and as high as 59 degrees on July 4. The record in Death Valley is alleged to be 56 degrees and was recorded in 1913, although that record is disputed. In 2020 and 2021, temperatures of 54 degrees were recorded within the national park.
It could possibly be cooler on Saturday, but temperatures are expected to stay above normal next weekend, Kennedy said. The weather service will review its forecast throughout the week to find out whether the warmth warning must be prolonged, she said.
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