Here’s what a heat wave actually is and why Sacramento is getting hit hard

Sacramento heat waves are common, but the rate at which the area is being hit with one after the other is not.

It’s natural to have unusually hot days and it’s expected in California, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. As the Earth’s climate continues to warm, uncomfortably hot temperatures are becoming the standard in Sacramento.

The area is forecast to endure at least a five-day stretch of 100-degree weather starting Thursday with a high of 105. The hottest days will be Sunday (high of 111 degrees) and Labor Day (high of 113 degrees), according to the National Weather Service.

Sacramento’s last heat wave was just a couple of weeks ago. Before that, there were several 100-degree stretches throughout May, June and July, according to previous Bee reporting.

How are heat waves created?

A heat wave isn’t just a day of hot weather, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It’s a period of of excessive heat that typically lasts two or more days, making it particularly unbearable for young children and older adults.

The excessive heat threatens lives, damages crops and livestock, increases the risk of wildfires and leads to power outages.

Heat waves are the result of trapped air, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The culprit of California’s upcoming heat wave: high pressure centered over the deserts of the Southwest.

It’s not just Sacramento that is expected to endure hotter than normal temperatures.

The entire western U.S. can thank a heat dome, or a ridge of strong, high pressure “mixed with La Niña influences” for the throbbing heat.

Sacramento’s heat wave is predicted to end sometime early next week, said meteorologist Eric Kurth with the National Weather Service Sacramento office, but it’s all uncertain. Experts have no indication that “something will cool the temperatures down anytime soon.”

“We are getting thickening air with the high pressure system,” he said. “So it creates a cap which traps the air and then the heat can just build up.”

Sacramento forecast

An excessive heat warning — which will stretch through the Sacramento Valley, Northern San Joaquin, parts of the Delta and nearby foothills and mountains — will go into effect 11 a.m. Saturday to 8 p.m. Tuesday. There will be “limited overnight relief” from the heat with lows dancing between 60 degrees to 80 degrees.

Here’s a look at Sacramento’s forecast heading into Labor Day weekend, as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service:

Thursday | High near 105 degrees

Sunny and hot.

Thursday night | Low around 67 degrees

Clear skies.

Friday | High near 104 degrees

Sunny and hot.

Friday night | Low around 67 degrees

Clear skies.

Saturday | High near 109 degrees

Sunny and hot.

Saturday night | Low 70 degrees

Clear skies.

Sunday | High near 111 degrees

Sunny and hot.

Sunday night | Low of 76 degrees

Clear skies.

Monday | High near 113 degrees

Sunny and hot.

Monday night | Low of 74 degrees

Mostly clear skies.

Tuesday | high near 108 degrees

Sunny and hot.

This story was originally published August 31, 2022 at 2:01 PM.