Sacramento breaks record on red-hot weekend. When will cooler weather be coming to California?
Sacramento is on the verge of what could be the hottest weekend in its recorded history.
Propelled by a scorching heat wave that struck the Valley on Friday, cities across the region experienced high temperature that well surpassed triple digits – and the heat is expected to extend into early next week.
The only weekend in the weather service record that was hotter happened on Saturday, August 15th and Sunday, August 16, 2020. The city saw a high of 111 and 112 on those days consecutively.
People are turning to air conditioners to fend off the blistering heat this weekend, leading SMUD to suggest customers ease off the electricity Saturday afternoon and the rest of the weekend to prevent a power shortage triggered by a wildfire in southern Oregon.
The temperature in downtown Sacramento reached 113 degrees after 5 p.m., breaking the record of 112 on the same day in 2002.
“With records going back to 1877, this is the second-hottest day on record for Sac Downtown,” the weather service said.
Whether Sunday could hit record highs remains to be seen. Weather service forecaster Scott Rowe said it’s not as likely, since the record stands at 110 and downtown Sacramento is expected to hit about 107 degrees.
“(Saturday) will be the hottest day of this stretch of heat for most interior locations,” weather service officials said in its afternoon forecast discussion.
But Sacramento may be well on its way to break another record anyway. Saturday marked the third day this year of 110 or greater temperatures in downtown, which ties an annual record from 1925 and 1996. And, Rowe said, the city may very well break the old record.
“We’ve still got a little more summer to go,” he said.
The good news is that Northern California cooling is expected starting early next week.
“Folks will definitely notice a difference Monday,” Rowe said.
Day-to-day cooling is predicted starting Monday through about midweek, helped along by a returning Delta breeze, and by Wednesday, Sacramento should be back down into the 90s, according to Rowe.
This story was originally published July 10, 2021 at 4:33 PM.
