Another Northern California heat wave: Sacramento could hit 95 degrees before weekend
Hot weather is coming back to Sacramento Valley, with a vengeance.
After a similar heat wave in late April, Sacramento is forecast to hit the 90s three straight days this week. The National Weather Service predicts the capital will top out at 95 degrees Friday afternoon, sandwiched between highs in the low 90s Thursday and Saturday. The average high is just 78 degrees.
Farther north in California, highs will approach 98 degrees in places like Redding, forecasts show.
Tuesday and Wednesday are each expected to reach just 85 in Sacramento and the heat is expected to break by Monday, returning to a max of just 81 degrees, according to the latest NWS forecasts.
This Friday and Saturday will threaten all-time records, according to NWS data. Sacramento’s all-time highs for May 8 and May 9 are 96 and 94 degrees, respectively, both set in 2001. The May 7 record, though, is 101, reached back in 1987.
A hot end to April saw Sacramento break or tie records on three days. It reached 93 degrees at Sacramento Executive Airport on April 24, easing past the 2019 record of 90 degrees. One day later, the site reached 91 degrees, breaking a 16-year-old record of 89. And on April 28, Sacramento soared to 93 degrees, inching past the record of 92 set in 2013.
And, while you’re still not supposed to go there due to coronavirus-related travel restrictions, South Lake Tahoe will be sunny with highs near 70 degrees Thursday through Sunday, NWS forecasts show.
