Temperatures to crank up again as Bay Area heat wave gains its second wind
The good news regarding one of the longest heat waves in Bay Area history was that the middle of a high-pressure system causing the thermometer to soar was moving through the region early Friday — albeit slowly, according to the National Weather Service.
The bad news, they said, is that it will bring another rise in temperatures that will not crest until Saturday — hardly refreshing considering the temperatures already were above or near 100 degrees in most places on Thursday.
“We are gonna start to ramp up to a second peak on Saturday,” NWS meteorologist Joe Merchant said. “Saturday is going to be really, really hot, hotter than what we’ve seen.”
That will mean temperatures likely will reach at least 105 degrees in the far interior of the region, if not 110, according to Merchant. First, however, will be the tick up on Friday — when temperatures are expected to be 107 in Livermore and Concord, 105 in Morgan Hill, 98 in San Jose, 83 in Oakland and 77 in downtown San Francisco.
The Friday temperatures followed another record-breaking day of heat. The gauge reached 98 in San Rafael, tying the city’s mark that was set in 2013. It was also a record-breaking 87 degrees at San Francisco International Airport, breaking the mark of 75 set in 1973.
An excessive heat warning that started Tuesday remained in effect Friday and runs through Wednesday, the longest excessive heat warning ever issued to the Bay Area by the weather service, Merchant said. Until then, sunny-and-really hot is going to be the uninterrupted forecast.
“Right now, we’re basically at the center of the high pressure,” Merchant said. “Once it shifts a little further east and south, we’ll start to see the things we normally see, such as cooler air aloft and a steadier, stronger onshore flow. It’s just gonna be a while until we get there.”
The weather service reminded people that despite the hot conditions, the ocean and river waters remain extremely cold. Water temperatures are running between 50 and 60 degrees, and the shock from that cold water can cause muscles to cramp quickly, officials said.
A red-flag warning for severe fire conditions remains in place in the East Bay Hills until 9 p.m. Saturday. A similar warning in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the upper elevations of Marin County was removed by the weather service.
Fire crews throughout the state continued to have their hands full with wildfires. In Butte County, Cal Fire made significant inroads on the Thompson Fire, reaching 46% containment on a blaze that has scorched 3,789 acres. That fire has forced 28,000 evacuations in that county.
The Toll Fire in Napa County was 50% contained and has burned 41 acres, according to Cal Fire. And the Yolla Fire in Shasta County was 90% contained after having burned 19 acres.
The state’s two largest wildfires were both in Fresno County. The Basin Fire had burned 14,015 acres Friday morning and was 46% contained, Cal Fire said. The June Lightning Complex Fire in Fresno County, was 98% contained Friday morning. Cal Fire said it has burned 10,669 acres.
Crews also had to battle several fires locally that officials said were caused by fireworks. A blaze in Antioch near Hillcrest Drive forced evacuations, and crews in San Jose put out two vegetation fires.