Modesto’s heat wave was short, but it packed a big punch
While Modesto’s heat wave was short, it packed a punch as it tied or broke five records over its three days.
Friday’s daytime high of 106 degrees tied the record for a July 9, which was set in 2008, according to the Modesto Irrigation District, which has been tracking the weather since 1939. Friday night set the record for the warmest July 9, with the temperature not falling below 78 degrees, breaking the previous maximum nighttime low of 75 degrees set in 2008.
Saturday’s daytime high of 108 degrees tied the record for July 10, which was first reached in 1959 and then in 1961. Saturday night also was a scorcher. The nighttime temperature did not fall below 77 degrees, tying the July 10 record set in 2008.
And while Sunday’s daytime high of 104 did not come close to breaking the record for July 11 (set in 1961 when the temperature reached 110), the nighttime maximum low of 79 degrees broke the record of 75 degrees set in 1990.
The average daytime high for this time of the year is 93 degrees, with the night getting as cool as about 60 degrees, according to the MID.
Modesto can expect a return to typical weather over the week.
The National Weather Service predicted Monday’s high would be near 100 degrees with a nighttime low of 64 degrees. The rest of the week will be in the low to mid 90s with nighttime lows of 59 to 63 degrees.
The MID, which provides electricity to about 130,000 customers, saw a spike in demand during the heat wave, with peak demand about 25 percent higher than what is typical for this time of year.
For instance, an MID spokeswoman said in an email that demand peaked at 666.4 megawatt-hours on Saturday, while demand peaks at 523 megawatt-hours on an average Saturday in July.
The spokeswoman said the MID had a few scattered heat-related power outages Friday through Sunday. The MID made a request on its website and social media for its customers to conserve energy during the heat wave.
This story was originally published July 12, 2021 at 12:52 PM.
