Just two weeks after rain and cool temperatures put a damper on many Bay Area Memorial Day weekend plans, the region is getting its first real heat wave of the year.
Extreme Heat in California: A KQED Science Investigation
Record or near-record temperatures are expected throughout the Bay Area on Sunday and Monday, with forecasts calling 100 degree heat for much of the North Bay and East Bay. Livermore, Concord and Santa Rosa are expected to approach triple digits on Sunday and break 100 degrees on Monday.
San Jose is expected to hit the high 90s both days, with temperatures in the low 90s forecast for Oakland and the high 80s in San Francisco. Even temperatures by the ocean are predicted to reach the 80s over the next few days, thanks to a ridge of high pressure pushing hot air from inland California out to the coasts.
The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for much of the Bay Area on Sunday, and it could be extended into next week.
“Sensitive populations like the elderly, children, even pets should pay special attention to staying cool because they’re the most vulnerable in these types of situations,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Spencer Tangen.
The hot temperatures combined with high winds are prompting fire concerns. The weather service issued a red flag warning for the North Bay mountains on Friday night that lasts through Sunday afternoon, meaning that any fires that start could spread quickly due to high winds, high temperatures and low humidity.
PG&E on Saturday preemptively cut power to around 1,600 customers in Napa, Solano and Yolo counties because of the fire danger, and it could shut down power for up to 30,000 more customers in Butte, Yuba, Placer, Nevada and El Dorado counties depending on how weather conditions develop over the weekend.
“Be very careful if you’re out in grassy areas,” Tangen said. “With the strong winds and the very dry conditions, any spark could very easily ignite a fire, especially if you’re in a grassy area where the fuel is very dry.”
Tangen said even though the region just finished its wettest May in more than 20 years, finer fuels like grass dry out very quickly.
The high temperatures and winds have also prompted the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to issue the year’s first Spare the Air smog alert for Sunday. Officials expect ozone pollution to reach unhealthy levels and are asking people to avoid driving to limit the vehicle exhaust in the air.
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