After a recent stretch of cool temperatures up and down the state, our luck seems to have run out: A heat dome is expected to arrive today in California, bringing three days of scorching temperatures to inland areas from Palmdale all the way north to Redding.
Some parts of the state are expected to see their first triple-digit temperatures since last summer, with readings that are predicted to be 20 degrees higher than normal for early June — and a big change from late May. “This is going to be quite a shock to the system,” said Scott Rowe, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Heat domes form when atmospheric conditions act like a lid on a pot, preventing precipitation and the release of hot air. They block the breezes that would otherwise draw cool ocean air into the Central Valley from San Francisco, Rowe said.
The one we’re in for this week is expected to last through Thursday and to drive temperatures in the Sacramento Valley as high as 102 today and 106 tomorrow. Forecasters expect peak readings of 106 degrees in Redding, 104 in Modesto and 103 in Fresno.
Abnormally high, but not quite as blazing, temperatures are also expected in the San Francisco Bay Area, with highs today of 97 in Napa and 81 in San Francisco.
Los Angeles, however, will not be feeling the burn. The weather pattern known as “June gloom” — low clouds and fog near the coast, especially in the morning — should prevent temperatures this week from rising past the low 80s downtown, forecasters said.
When the weather is scorching, experts recommend staying hydrated and remaining indoors during the day if you can. They also caution against leaving children or pets in parked cars, noting that “car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes.”
Amy Palmer, a spokeswoman for California’s Office of Emergency Services, told my colleague that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office was “actively watching the heat expected,” with plans to “step up outreach for people who don’t have easy access to hydration and air-conditioning.”
The weather this week may be a preview of what’s to come this summer: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says it’s likely that the West will have above-average temperatures from June through August.
And before you go, some good news
Today is the first day of Bouquets to Art, a delightful exhibition that has been staged annually at the de Young Museum for 40 years.
Bouquets to Art offers highly skilled floral designers a chance to create arrangements inspired by classic artworks. Visitors can then wander the de Young, admiring not only the paintings and sculptures, but also beautiful bouquets of flowers.
