High temperatures:
More than a dozen cities break 100.
More than a dozen cities throughout the Bay Area featured triple-digit temperatures Thursday as residents sweated out the hottest day of a week-long heat wave.
Brentwood, Concord, Walnut Creek, Pittsburg, Pleasanton, Livermore, Morgan Hill, Gilroy, San Jose, San Ramon, Danville, Vacaville and Sonoma all hit or surpassed the century mark, said Will Pi, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
The hottest cities in the Bay Area appeared to be Antioch and Livermore, which reached 106 degrees, officials said.
Several cities, including Brentwood and Vacaville, reached 100 degrees before noon.
In the mountains north of Santa Rosa and elsewhere in the North Bay, including Middle Peak and Atlas Peak in Napa County, temperatures jumped into the 90s, said Scott Rowe, a meteorologist for the weather service.
And while winemakers in Napa weren’t too concerned about the heat damaging their fruit, many were worried about the toll it had on workers in the vineyards.
Mark Davis, a winemaker at O’Brien Estate Winery, said that nearly a dozen workers were out “suckering,” or pruning, the vines, despite the scorching heat. Winemakers and other management frequently checked to make sure they were getting plenty of water and taking breaks in the shade, Davis added.
Near Mount Diablo in the East Bay and in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the heat climbed throughout the day into the upper 90s.
On average, most airports throughout the Bay Area ran 15 degrees warmer at 6:30 a.m. than the morning before, with the hottest being at Livermore Municipal Airport at 72 degrees, Rowe added.
“That’s something that’s quite remarkable,” said Rowe.
United, American and Southwest airlines reported no cancellations for flights into or out of Bay Area airports due to the heat.
Conditions were relatively cool in San Francisco, with temperatures staying in the mid to upper 70s.
Officials at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton bumped the opening day of horse racing from Thursday to Friday. And three of the main attractions at the fair, two giant slides and the “Mardi Gras” fun house, were temporarily shut down because of the stifling heat, said Angel Moore, a spokeswoman for the fair.
The heat also prompted officials to adjust the start times for dozens of races Thursday at the USA Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, where the temperature was expected to hit 111.
As residents rubbed the sleep from their eyes in San Jose on Thursday morning, the temperature was a balmy 80 degrees, Rowe said. By mid-morning, the temperatures had reached 90 and continued rising to near 100 by the early afternoon.
Forecasters emphasized that Bay Area residents needed to prioritize safety as excessive heat warnings were issued and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District put out a Spare the Air Alert through Friday encouraging people to help cut pollution by taking public transportation, carpooling or biking and walking.
“Heat is the No. 1 weatherrelated killer in the United States,” Rowe said. “Heat does kill and can kill.”
Two people died in San Jose from heat-related issues since the heat wave began Friday, officials said.
Despite concerns it would break an electricity usage record, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. reported only small and sporadic outages throughout the day.
Some parts of the Bay Area will start to see a break from the heat Friday.