Heat wave is expected to bake California this weekend

California is in a heat wave.

The Golden State has recently been locked into a cloudier and cooler-than-usual weather pattern, a stark contrast to the extreme heat that grips so much of the country. The San Francisco Chronicle recently reported that the city hadn’t hit 70 degrees this month, only the third time in a century that June was this cool.

But warmer conditions are coming. A high-pressure system building over the Pacific Ocean and moving into the western United States is expected to raise temperatures in California starting today, with the highest readings expected over the weekend.

Much of the state will be affected, with forecasters of Eureka Unpleasant Los Angeles Unpleasant San Diego warning for warm and dry weather in the coming days. The Central Valley will feel the heat the most.

On Friday, Sacramento is expected to record its first triple-digit temperature of the year. Bakersfield, Madera and Merced could all exceed 105 degrees, and Fresno could reach 109 on Saturday, said Jessica Chiari, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s San Joaquin Valley office in Hanford.

It will be a marked shift from the recent streak of daily highs that are 10 degrees below normal for the region, Chiari said, adding that once the heat arrives it is unlikely to end in the coming days.

“Right now, it looks like we’re going to have pretty consistent triple-digit temperatures here for the next week,” she told me.

The heat is not expected to break any records, but it will pose unusually high risks for Californians, experts say. The abrupt change means that many people are not yet accustomed to warmer weather and are at increased risk of heat stroke and heat exhaustion.

“Obviously it’s going to feel hotter than it is because it’s been so cold lately,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA. told reporters on Monday. “The transition will feel quite sudden. It’s not that people can’t handle 90 or 100 degrees. It’s that if you go from cold temps to 100 degrees quickly, you may be in for even more trouble.

Swain and other experts recommend taking extra precautions to stay hydrated and cool, and to watch for signs of heat-related illness. You can read more about how to stay safe in extreme heat here.

Experts also warn that the heat wave will make fireworks extra dangerous in our already fire-prone state. There are more wildfires on July 4 than on any other day, Swain said.

The Los Angeles office of the National Weather Service warned, “The increased heat and drought will add to firefighting concerns, and any spark from fireworks could easily start a blaze in the tall grasses that have hardened and turned brown in recent weeks. “

In some parts of the state, temperatures can drop again quite quickly.

The National Weather Service forecast for the next two weeks shows temperatures along the coast that will be around the seasonal average, and slightly above average temperatures inland. Still, the long-term forecast for July through September shows hotter than normal temperatures by the state.

For more:

See how warm it will be in your region this week.
This summer, learn how to stay safe in California’s roaring rivers.
A teenage boy and his stepfather hiking in Texas’s Big Bend National Park died last week when temperatures rose to 119 degrees.

Where we travel

Today’s tip comes from Sophie Tivona:

“My favorite place to visit in California is Temescal Alley in Oakland. It’s a little oasis tucked away off Telegraph Avenue with a collection of small shops run by micro-enterprise owners. You can shop with people who actually make the items in their stores – clothing, ice cream, stationery, jewelry. There’s even an old-fashioned barbershop and a record store! The Alley also has two gorgeous secret garden patios that serve smash burgers and bagels on weekends. It’s a true gem in Oakland, surrounded by great restaurants – you could spend all day here!

Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. We will share more in upcoming editions of the newsletter.

Tell us

We are almost half way through 2023! What are the best things that have happened to you this year so far? What have your victories been? Or your unexpected joys, big or small?

Tell me at CAtoday@nytimes.com. Please include your full name and the city where you live.

And before you go, good news

A baby red-tailed hawk has been adopted by an eagle pair in Northern California. This is reported by USA Today.

Red-tailed hawks make begging calls similar to those of eagles. The eagles most likely heard the baby hawk’s call and returned the bird to their nest as prey for their own eagle, the news outlet reports.

But then they started raising the hawk as their own.

Thank you for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Soumja

PS Here it is today’s mini crossword.

Briana Scalia and Allison Honors contributed to California Today. You can reach the team at CAtoday@nytimes.com.

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