SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
California was only going to evade the heat for so long, and the heat is set to return with a bang this holiday weekend.
This weekend will be by far the hottest of the year so far as a strong high pressure system builds into the West Coast.
The 292-day streak of failing to reach 100 degrees in Sacramento is expected to end on Thursday. The state has been treated to a mild, cool spring, which has been vital towards fostering a manageable snowmelt period.
The high temperature on Wednesday was 90 in downtown Sacramento yesterday, which is technically still below average for this time of year.
Thursday is when the warming trend will really ramp up. Widespread 100 degree temperatures are expected on Thursday, with even warmer temperatures expected on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as the high pressure parks itself overhead.
Risk of heat illness will be high, in part due to the lack of exposure to heat so far this year. Although temperatures will drop slightly after this weekend, the heat will be sticking around for much of next week including Independence Day.
Whether the plan is to hit the road or stay local, check out the localized forecasts below.
Central Valley
Temperatures are expected to soar near 110 degrees and potentially even higher in certain locations this weekend.
Moderate to extreme heat risk is the main weather story with highs 10-15 degrees above average.
High temperatures will rise to around 105 on Friday and could get close to 110 on Saturday, the peak of the heatwave. Further north in the valley, temperatures will push even higher. The forecast high in Redding is 111 on Saturday.
Highs will drop a few degrees from Saturday to Sunday but will remain very hot, similar to Friday's highs.
The Delta breeze won’t be around this weekend to cool temperatures down all that much at night. Overnight lows in the upper 60s and lower 70s are expected so don't expect much relief, especially on Saturday and Sunday.
High pressure systems are associated with sinking air and low winds, so expect air quality to decrease slightly as a result as well, particularly in areas affected by firework smoke.
Tahoe/Sierra
One of the main features of the weather pattern as of late for the Sierra has been afternoon thunderstorms.
The first half of the week featured some picturesque thunderstorms along the Sierra crest, but the storm activity is expected to die down by this weekend due to the high pressure squashing the instability that helps spark development.
Temperatures are expected in the 70s and 80s in the Sierra. South Lake Tahoe, an extremely popular Fourth of July destination, is forecast to push into the upper 80s.
One of the most dangerous places for heat risk will be in the foothills. When high pressure sits overhead, an inversion sets up in the overnight hours. Clear nights and calm winds allow for overnight temperatures in the valley to drop while temperatures in the foothills above the inversion remain elevated. Lows are expected in the upper 70s in areas within this "thermal belt" and areas below 5,000 feet are forecast to reach 100.
Higher in the mountains, overnight lows are expected to drop into the 50s.
Bay Area/Coast
The coast will be a great spot to escape the heat this weekend.
Cool conditions will be present this weekend along the California coast as the rest of the state bakes. High temperatures in San Francisco are expected to be in the 70s and the mornings will still be dominated by fog up and down the coast, as is usually the case this time of year.
Just a few miles inland in areas like Livermore, highs on Saturday are expected to shoot past 100.
Breezy conditions will be present on Friday but expect winds to calm down on Saturday and Sunday.
WATCH ALSO:
