More heat on the way: Triple digits likely coming to Sacramento

A heat wave with nearrecord temperatures is coming to the Sacramento area this week, with temperatures ranging from mid-90s up to a predicted 105 degrees on Sunday.

Emily Heller, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, said an area of high pressure will settle over the valley in the middle of the week.

“Normally when we have these high pressures we have clear skies and a ton of heating,” Heller said.

This high-pressure heat wave, however, will not bring clear skies. As wildfires across Northern California continue to burn, smoke and ash fill the air.

Air quality in the Sacramento area as of Monday morning fell in the “unhealthy” zone. With northerly winds pushing the smoke in, poor air quality will persist this week, largely because of the August Complex fire in Mendocino National Forest.

Heller said that this dense smoke could actually lower temperatures in some areas, changing the current forecast. However, the meteorologist said that the variation will be slight and above-average temperatures will still be coming.

With extreme heat, people are urged to stay out of the sun as much as possible. For those working outside, Heller advises frequent breaks, regular hydration and light-colored clothing.

The Sacramento region saw another heat wave two weeks ago, prompting rolling blackouts as the state’s energy grid was overworked. Heller said multiple weeks of aboveaverage heat is not unusual for the area, but the timing of the heat waves is atypical.

“We were actually relatively average in June and July. It just so happens that our weather waited until August and apparently early September to see some of these heat waves,” Heller said.