Heat wave starts with record in Modesto. Here’s what we can expect in coming days
As some power users in the Northern San Joaquin Valley saw their electricity shut off on Friday night, Stanislaus County residents braced for a heat wave in the coming days that could see temperatures hovering near 110.
An excessive heat warning has been issued for the Northern San Joaquin Valley through Wednesday at 9 p.m. And it could extend longer than that.
In addition to a high temperature of 104 on Friday, tying the record for Aug. 14 last seen in 1996, the maximum low temperature of 79 shattered the previous mark of 75 set for the same date in 1992, according to the Modesto Irrigation District.
“We are looking at a pretty extended heat wave for the Central Valley,” said Hannah Chandler-Cooley, meteorologist for the National Weather Service. “Basically we’re expecting temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above normal.”
For Modesto, that means predicted highs of 108 Saturday, 105 on Sunday, 106 on Monday and 107 on Tuesday.
And there isn’t going to be much relief overnight, when typically the temperatures drop into the 60s.
“Overnight lows will be around 77 to 79 degrees,” Chandler-Cooley said. “Even a bit warmer if we get some cloud cover overnight.
“Its just going to feel like oppressive heat.”
Heat of this magnitude and duration poses significant threat of heat-related illness to the entire population as well as animals, the Weather Service said in an advisory issued in advance of the heat wave.
Chandler-Cooley recommended people stay inside if they have access to air conditioning, avoiding the heat of the day — which will be most of the day.
“Basically after 10 a.m., it’s going to be pretty brutal through most of the day,” she said.
Cooling centers to open in Modesto
For those who don’t have air conditioning, the Stanislaus County Office of Emergency Services has compiled an updated list of cooling centers available through the heat wave. In Modesto, options include the transit center and the library downtown. Vintage Faire Mall also is listed, though the mall is closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
On Friday, the mall’s doors were locked. Office of Emergency Services spokesman Royjindar Singh said staff was working to see whether the mall would open its interior for the weekend.
Outside of staying cool, Chandler-Cooley recommended checking on the elderly and others susceptible to the heat, keeping pets inside and drinking a lot of water. “Drink more water than you think you need to.”
Modesto isn’t alone in its suffering — most of the state is experiencing similar conditions.
On Friday, the California Independent System Operator, which runs the state’s power grid, declared a Stage 3 emergency alert around 6:30 p.m., the first time that has happened since 2001. It impacts customers of PG&E, SDG&E in San Diego and Southern California Edison.
The majority of Stanislaus County residents receive their power from the Modesto Irrigation and Turlock Irrigation districts, which aren’t part of Cal ISO and aren’t subjected to these rolling blackouts.
No Stanislaus County residents served by PG&E, including those in Oakdale, were impacted, according to company officials and utility logs. San Joaquin County saw some outages in the Manteca and Stockton areas.
In Merced, 2,344 customers were said to be affected Friday night. As of 8:50 p.m. power appeared to have been restored.
PG&E said the blackouts would generally last about an hour. According to the Cal ISO website, Saturday’s and Sunday’s peak megawatt level are not expected to reach capacity.
“We refer to this type of weather as a heat storm, much as we would refer to heavy rain and winds during the winter as a winter storm,” PG&E spokesman Jeff Smith told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Meanwhile, MID’s peak megawatt level reached 677 Friday, just off the district’s record of 697 reached twice — in July 2006 and August 2017. Melissa Williams, public affairs manager, said Saturday the Modesto district is projecting a peak from 680 megawatts to 695 megawatts on Monday.
She said the district did not anticipate any issues to its customers., but if there was, information would be posted on its website and social media channels.
Turlock Irrigation District to the south also did not expect any major power shortages, though small heat-related outages are possible.
“TID monitors energy demand around the clock and always makes sure to have enough energy on hand to serve customer needs,” district spokesman Brandon McMillan said in an email Saturday. “That is especially true on high demand days like this one.”
Hot weather also brings about increased concern about West Nile virus, spread by mosquitoes.
On Friday, the state reported 18 human cases of the virus, including 11 in Stanislaus County. Though most patients are asymptomatic, there was one death reported in Los Angeles County.
In addition to taking precautions against the mosquitoes that carry the virus, health officials also warned residents about the impact of heat. The advice:
- Avoid yard work or exercise at the hottest times
- Make sure pets have shady spots and water outside
- Drink water but avoid caffeine and alcohol
Check on neighbors who might be vulnerable
Be careful in swimming pools and other bodies of water
The Sacramento Bee contributed to this report.
This story was originally published August 15, 2020 at 8:13 AM.
