Heat could top 110 degrees in parts of California as extreme wave broils Pacific Northwest
Another hot stretch lies ahead for Northern California, peaking this weekend with triple-digit heat near Sacramento.
The National Weather Service predicts a high of 103 degrees Saturday in Sacramento, followed by 99 on Sunday and with the upper 90s continuing early next week.
The weather service has an excessive heat warning in place farther north in the Sacramento Valley, warning of temperatures that could approach 115 in some areas. Redding is expected to reach 111 degrees Saturday and Sunday; Chico could hit 109 degrees Saturday.
The Lake Tahoe region will also be warm. South Lake Tahoe is predicted to reach the low 80s on Saturday, then warm up to 85 by Sunday and stay in the mid-80s early next week.
The hot spell comes as a dire, extreme heat wave develops north of California. The Pacific Northwest faces high temperatures that could destroy records throughout Oregon, Washington and parts of Idaho.
Forecasts show Portland on Sunday could reach 109 degrees. That’d be the hottest day ever recorded there by a margin of 2 degrees, and it’s an astounding 33 degrees above normal for this time of year, according to the weather service.
The weather service says excessive heat warnings or watches this weekend cover more than 20 million residents of Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho and Montana.
Northern California had its own extreme heat wave earlier this month. On June 17, downtown Sacramento reached 110, shattering a 45-year-old daily record by 8 degrees. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for that heat wave.
Late Friday, Sacramento County officials announced they would open cooling centers at four locations operated by the Department of Human Assistance:
▪ 2700 Fulton Ave., Arden Arcade
▪ 5747 Watt Ave., North Highlands
▪ 2450 Florin Road, Meadowview
▪ 3960 Research Drive, North Sacramento
The locations will be available between 2 and 8 p.m., Saturday through Wednesday, officials said.
Weather and emergency officials urge residents to avoid extended periods of time outdoors and to stay hydrated amid the heat.
This story was originally published June 25, 2021 at 6:55 AM.
