San Joaquin Valley heat short of forecast, but air still unhealthy

By ROSALIO AHUMADA and JOHN HOLLAND
rahumada@modbee.com or jholland@modbee.com

E-Mail

Comments (0)

Text Size:

tool goes here

There was plenty of oppressive heat Tuesday, but Stanislaus County residents and health officials caught a slight break when it fell short of the 110-degree forecast for the Northern San Joaquin Valley.

Modesto's high temperature reached 104 degrees, according to the Modesto Irrigation District. The heat index, which combines heat and humidity, made it feel a still-dangerous 107 degrees.

The same is expected today.

CLICK FOR MORE PHOTOS

Butte County fire
Fire endangers Paradise
Modesto Irrigation District weather data
Where To Get Help

Stanislaus County County and city officials have made available "cool zones," which are intended to help people get short-term relief from the heat. More locations may open as officials watch the forecast. Modesto's are open today through Friday, and Patterson's today through Thursday. Here are the locations and hours.

MODESTO
- The Neighborhood Center at Marshall Park, 420 Chicago Ave., 1 to 10 p.m.
- The Senior Center, 211 Bodem St., 1 to 10 p.m.
- The Salvation Army Red Shield Center, 1649 Las Vegas St., 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Maddux Youth Center, 615 Sierra Drive, 1 to 10 p.m.
HUGHSON
- Hughson Senior Community Center, 2307 Fourth St., 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
PATTERSON
- Patterson Senior Center, 700 F St,, 1 to 9 p.m.
RIVERBANK
- Riverbank Scout Hall, 3017 High St., 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
TURLOCK
- The Salvation Army, 693 Lander Ave., 1:30 to 10 p.m.
COOLING CENTERS
- Modesto's Salvation Army will welcome those seeking relief from the heat at its homeless shelter at Ninth and D Streets. It's open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., although the hours may be extended. For more information, call 525-8954.
- Merced County has opened centers in four cities, and they will remain open at each city's discretion:
  - Merced, Sam Pipes Room, Merced Civic Center, 678 W. 18th St., 5 to 9 p.m.
  - Atwater, Atwater Community Center, 768 Bellevue Road, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  - Los Banos, Miller/Lux Building, 830 Sixth St., 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  - Gustine, Al Gorman Center, 741 Linden Ave., times to be determined.
  - County libraries during regular library hours.
GO ONLINE
- www.StanEmergency.com: Offers vital tips and other information to keep you cool and safe
... OR CALL
- Heat safety hot line: 558-8035
On The Hive: Bee Opinion blog, Heat dangers - no repeat of 2006
104 a struggle for people who must work outside
Where to go to cool off: Government heat centers
Weather on modbee.com
High heat, poor air quality expected this week

"We're still in the same area of the heat index as we were on Monday," said Gary Hinshaw, assistant director of Stanislaus County's emergency services. "The heat index hasn't gone into the extreme danger zone."

He said Stanislaus County emergency dispatchers didn't receive many calls for help related to the heat Tuesday, and "it appears most people have been taking care of themselves."

Also spared from problems were livestock and utility companies, although air quality was unhealthy or very unhealthy in most of the Northern San Joaquin Valley.

Stanislaus County's Office of Emergency Services will continue to monitor the heat the rest of the week as more of the same is expected through Saturday.

"We hope this weather breaks by then," said Hinshaw.

Weather service forecaster Karl Swanberg said the high was expected to reach 111 degrees at Modesto Airport today, but the haze of smoke covering the valley could reduce that number just a bit, as it did Tuesday.

"It's probably taken a degree or two off, depending on how much smoke you have," Swanberg said. "107 (the high at the airport) is hot, no matter how you slice it."

Hinshaw cautioned residents to be on alert today, and check on elderly neighbors and those who might be susceptible to extreme heat.

"They are on the front line," Hinshaw said of residents. "They know better than we do."

Cool air and bad air

Cooling centers throughout Stanislaus and Merced counties will be open today.

On Tuesday, about 60 people went to the cooling center at The Salvation Army day shelter at Ninth and D streets in Modesto, said Maj. Darvin Carpenter of The Salvation Army.

"Some stayed all day, some of them were there for just part of the day," Carpenter said. "Even though it's hot, (the cooling center) wasn't stuffed."

He said the center has plenty of space for anyone who wants to cool off with refreshments and snacks, and maybe enjoy a movie or TV.

Two elderly women went to the center because their air conditioning wasn't working, Carpenter said. The majority of people there were homeless, while others sought refuge in Modesto parks.

"I drove around about 12:30 p.m. today and I saw some homeless people laying in the shade under the trees," Carpenter said. "I just wanted to see where were they going if they weren't coming to the shelter."

For the second time since the wildfires began 2½ weeks ago, the air quality in Stanislaus County on Tuesday was in the very unhealthy range, and that's also the forecast for today. The huge amount of nitrogen oxide produced by the wildfires is creating harmful levels of ozone in the Northern San Joaquin Valley. Residents are advised to stay indoors.

The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District is forecasting unhealthy air today in San Joaquin and Merced counties.

The bad air led to cancellation of the air district's Bike to Work Day, which was scheduled for Modesto today to highlight a clean commuting alternative. The activity, part of the Healthy Air Living events this week, could be rescheduled for later in the summer, the district said.