SACRAMENTO, Calif — A major warmup is on the way after a typically warm and sunny late June weekend in Northern California.
High temperatures Thursday will be in the low 90s and will likely be the coolest day in Northern California for at least the next two weeks.
Even then, it won’t exactly be cool Thursday, with the forecast high of 92 degrees matching the climatological normal for June 27 in Sacramento.
Temperatures will rise Friday and will be around the same Saturday with most valley locations seeing high temperatures rise into the mid 90s. Temperatures will rise once again Sunday but most of the valley should stay below 100 degrees.
Monday will be much warmer than Sunday and is expected to kick off a stretch of triple digit degree days lasting through at least the 4th of July but likely longer.
A strong ridge of high pressure will be firmly planted over Northern California by the middle of next week is to blame for the heat wave.
Tuesday and Wednesday are forecast to be the warmest days of the week as of now with high temperatures in Sacramento of 107 and 109, respectively.
Very hot temperatures are expected in the foothills and Sierra, too. Foothill temperatures will reach into the triple digits and upper 80s and 90s are on the way to the Sierra.
There will be little relief from the heat overnight next week with low dropping into the 70s in the valley and even warmer in portions of the foothills.
Along with dangerously hot temperatures, critical fire weather conditions are expected to develop on early next week as the ridge builds in. Gusty winds from the north and low humidity values are expected will be paired temperatures well above 100 in the valley, so any fires that start will have the potential to spread rapidly.