Sacramento breaks 27 year-old temperature record amid heat wave, cloudless skies 

Sacramento broke a 27-year-old daily heat record Thursday, exceeding it by one degree amid a week of unusually high temperatures.

According to data provided by the National Weather Service, temperatures at Sacramento Executive Airport reached 77 degrees at 3:43 p.m., just barely surpassing a 1992 record of 76 degrees.

Friday’s temperatures tied a 1985 Sacramento record, reaching 74 degrees, while records were broken in Modesto, with temperatures of 80 degrees, and in Stockton, which set a new record of 79 degrees.

Earlier this week, the NWS predicted a heat wave that was set to usher in record heat. The temperatures have not disappointed.

On Wednesday, Sacramento matched a 1988 heat record by hitting a maximum of 76 degrees. Tuesday was uncharacteristically warm as well, matching another 1991 record of 76 degrees.

The normal maximum daytime temperature for Sacramento in late February is 63 degrees, indicating a discrepancy of more than a dozen degrees three days in a row.

The unseasonable heat hasn’t been helped by the bone-dry conditions, with no rain having been recorded all month. Normally, Sacramento sees more than 3 inches of rain in February, according to NWS data.

Northern California’s hot and dry spell may take a turn over the weekend, however, with the NWS predicting a storm to cover the foothills and Sierra Nevada in rain and snow.

Sacramento is not expected to see rain over the weekend, but winds will pick up, possibly reaching 30 miles per hour.