Hottest day of the week hits Sacramento Valley with temperatures soaring into 100s

In addition to the heat, the region will continue to experience dry conditions with low humidity levelsPhoto byKarol SmoczynskionUnsplash

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Sacramento has issued an area forecast discussion indicating a period of seasonably hot weather, accompanied by dry and breezy conditions, which will persist through midweek. This weather pattern raises localized fire weather concerns across the region.

Today, temperatures are expected to soar into the 100s throughout the Sacramento Valley, driven by ridging near the Four Corners region extending into California. This hot stretch is forecasted to last through tomorrow before cooling to near-normal temperatures later in the week. The Northern Sacramento Valley and adjacent foothills have the highest probability of exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

The NWS has highlighted a Moderate HeatRisk for much of interior Northern California throughout the week, with localized areas experiencing Major HeatRisk, particularly in the Northern San Joaquin Valley and the Motherlode.

In addition to the heat, the region will continue to experience dry conditions with low humidity levels, particularly in the Central and Northern Sacramento Valley and adjacent foothills. This exacerbates the fire weather concerns, especially in areas near the Park Fire. Afternoon and evening breezy winds, with gusts up to 25 mph in the vicinity of the Delta, will further elevate these concerns.

A cooling trend is anticipated as troughing strengthens in the Pacific Northwest, flattening the ridging pattern over Northern California. This shift is expected to bring temperatures down to the 90s to low 100s in the Valley and mid-80s in the higher elevations of the Sierra by late week into the weekend.