California heat wave: Just how hot is it going to get in Modesto this weekend?
The latest heat wave is here and this one includes little to no reprieve at night.
“It is not going to be ... those summer days where you can open those windows up before you go to bed,” said National Weather Service Meteorologist Sierra Littlefield.
An excessive heat warning has been issued from noon Friday to Monday night for nearly the entire state. Only the coastal region will be spared and sweltering conditions will go up to 6,000 feet in the mountains.
Littlefield said a high pressure system building up from the desert in the southwest will cut off the onshore flow from the ocean. That means the “air is stagnant and it is getting hotter and hotter every day.”
On Friday highs could reach 106 in Modesto and the nighttime lows are predicted to stay in the 70s. By Saturday the daytime high could break a record of 108 set in 1959 and the nighttime lows might not get below 80. Littlefield said the nighttime lows are even hotter in the foothills
Temperatures on Sunday could be the same or just slightly lower and nighttime lows will creep down too.
The high on Monday could reach 105 but the temperature will slowly get back to average or just above average by mid-week, Littlefield said.
During the heat wave, people are cautioned not to undertake strenuous activity outside between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m., check on elderly neighbors or those who live alone and bring pets inside, providing them plenty of fresh water. People also should make sure to wear sunscreen and drink extra water.
Stanislaus County’s emergency operations center maintains a list of cooling centers at its website. stanemergency.org.
This story was originally published July 8, 2021 at 11:41 AM.
