SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A dangerous heat wave is returning as high pressure over the Southwest expands westward.
An Excessive Heat Warning starts at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 17 and will last until 9 p.m. Saturday, June 19. Highs will range from 100 degrees to 113 degrees in the Sacramento Valley, Sierra Foothills and the Delta on those days. Lows are supposed to be in the upper 60s to low 80s.
Fire danger will also be elevated in the Valley due to hot and dry conditions. Grass and other vegetation are running at near record dryness right now. Any spark will have plenty of fuel to spread.
Significant heat is expected during this time which will impact everyone in those areas, especially those working outdoors.
Heat related illness is possible for people, pets and livestock with extended time outdoors.
To avoid heat-related issues:
- Drink extra water
- Avoid outdoor strenuous activities from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Help elderly, kids and pets stay cool
- Plan to be in air conditioned buildings
PG&E spokesperson Megan McFarland said that they want their customers to be prepared in case of outages, but they do not expect any planned Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) from them.
"Any outages that occur during this hot spell are not PSPS events," McFarland said. "One thing we see during hot weather is transformer failure and that's one of the top causes of heat-related outages."
McFarland said that because it is less likely to cool down enough at night during this upcoming extreme heat watch for the transformers to cool down, they could fail because they won't get that nightly cool down.
She said that for customers to be prepared for the potential outages, they can have flashlights and batteries ready and make sure cell phones are charged. She also recommends to try to conserve energy during this heat wave.
The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) sent out a press release earlier this week, saying that they are monitoring the extreme heat expected across the state this week. They said that they will not know if a Flex Alert is needed until later in the week.
"It is still too early to know the precise impact that next week’s high temperatures will have on the electric grid," CAISO said in the press release. "But the ISO is closely monitoring conditions and the anticipated increase in demand for electricity and will issue additional public notifications as warranted."
Gradual cooling will start Sunday with highs back in the low 90s by the beginning of next week.
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