Hot summer fun: Sacramento back to 100+ degrees for first weekend of State Fair
Triple-digit heat is on tap for Sacramento this weekend, with only a minimal cool-down to follow next week.
The capital city is expected to reach 103 degrees Saturday and 101 degrees Sunday, according to the latest National Weather Service forecasts. Daytime highs should then dip slightly, to the high 90s, on Monday and Tuesday.
Temperatures should fall significantly at night, down to the low 60s, forecasts show.
The county opened three cooling centers due to the extreme heat earlier this week, and it will do so again this weekend and on Monday.
A trio of Department of Human Assistance locations Saturday and Sunday will offer weather respite from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.: the annex at 1725 28th Street in midtown, a customer service center at 5747 Watt Ave. in North Highlands and another customer service center at 2450 Florin Road in Meadowview.
All three centers are also open to the public Monday during their normal hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with an extra period for weather respite from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., county officials announced Friday. Pets are allowed at the county’s cooling centers but must be on a leash or in an animal container at all time.
Masks are required at all cooling centers and other shelters in California under state COVID-19 rules.
The city of Sacramento as of Friday had not announced plans to open its cooling center on Auburn Boulevard, the former site of the Powerhouse Science Center.
Conditions are not forecast to reach the thresholds approved by City Council to trigger opening of the center, mainly due to the comparatively low overnight temperatures. City officials did open the site Monday, a day the weather service reported reaching 105 degrees, even though Sacramento did not reach those thresholds.
Other cities within the county, including Elk Grove and Rancho Cordova, also have not said they would open cooling sites this weekend.
The ongoing hot spell coincides with the first weekend of this year’s California State Fair, the first edition of the annual Cal Expo tradition since 2019 due to the pandemic.
For those heading to Tahoe instead, highs near 80 degrees are forecast for Saturday and Sunday at South Lake Tahoe. Gusts up to 20 mph may develop Sunday, with winds calmer Saturday.
Weather officials remind those spending extended periods outdoors to stay well-hydrated and limit sun exposure when possible, and to always wear a life jacket on waterways.
