Extreme weather in California fueling Redding's hottest July ever

Brutally hot summers are nothing new for Redding. But this summer's torch parade of blazing hot temperatures is melting the record books.

So far in July, the average temperature in Redding has been about 110 degrees. That's because there have been 11 days in which the high temperature surpassed 110, according to the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

Those 11 days of the mercury going north of 110 is a record for Redding. The old mark was eight days, a record that had stood since 1988.

Cooling center news: Why Shasta County emergency cooling centers close when it's super hot

“The high pressure that is permanent in the summer period this year has (hung around) more along the West Coast versus over the desert southwest. So, we are underneath a high-pressure heat dome right now that has been a continuous pattern going back even into June,” said Karl Swanberg, a forecaster for the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

Is this the hottest it's ever been in Redding?

In early July, residents endured a six-day stretch of high temperatures above 110, including 119 degrees on July 6 , an all-time record for Redding. The previous record, reached three times during July over the past century, was 118 degrees.

Those temperatures puts Redding's average high through Sunday at 109.7 degrees for the month, 10 degrees above the historical average for July.

“This year is on track to be the hottest average high temperature (in Redding) for the month,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Sara Purdue.

The record in Redding for the highest average high temperature in July is 103.5 in 2021, Purdue said.

Sky Show: Dazzling Perseid Meteor Shower is here. How to watch from Redding and Shasta County

Extreme hot weather around California

At least Redding residents can take solace that in the fact they’re not living in Needles, where every day this month the temperature at this city near the California-Arizona border exceeded 112 degrees — including a record 123 on July 8. The average high so far there is 117 degrees.

Here’s how the average July high in other select cities in California have weathered the heat that's gripped the West. The historical average is in parenthesis:

• Barstow 112.3 (104.8)
• El Centro 112.1 (107.7)
• Red Bluff 107.9 (97.8)
• Fresno 106.6 (97.4)
• Bakersfield 106.3 (98.1)
• Stockton 102.7 (95.3)
• Modesto 102.3 (93.9)
• Sacramento 100.6 (92.5)

Lake Shasta: Billions of gallons of water from Lake Shasta disappearing into thin air

Any relief in sight for Redding?

The high in Redding for the week is expected to peak Tuesday at 110, which would mean 12 days of temperatures 110 or higher in July.

The National Weather Service has posted a heat advisory for the Northern Sacramento Valley until 11 p.m. Wednesday.

But after Wednesday, the weather is expected to start to cool and by the weekend, Redding residents could be basking in temperature in the mid-90s, the National Weather Service predicts.

David Benda covers business , development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on X, formerly Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Extreme weather in California fueling Redding's hottest July ever