Find a full forecast, cooling centers and how to prepare for the heat below
Find a full forecast, cooling centers and how to prepare for the heat below
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Find a full forecast, cooling centers and how to prepare for the heat below
Friday is another Weather Alert Day due to the extreme heat and unhealthy air quality in parts of Northern California.
Although Friday won't be as hot as Thursday, there's still the possibility of breaking daily records, according to meteorologist Tamara Berg.
Smoke in the area also continues to be an issue due to the Mosquito Fire burning in Placer and El Dorado counties. Smoky conditions in the forecast become more noticeable as you go up in elevation — even going up 1,000 feet, Berg said.
| VIDEO BELOW | Here's a view of smoky conditions above Placer County on Friday
Air quality ranges from unhealthy to hazardous throughout the foothills and Sierra.
"I do expect that, by lunchtime, I think if you head outside for a lunch break, it's going to be rather smoky in Sacramento, including Elk Grove and even some of that smoke working its way a little farther south into the Stockton, Lodi area," Berg said.
As the evening unfolds, with a push of the upslope winds, areas around the Tahoe Basin will be impacted by the smoke.
The Tahoe area could also see thunderstorms in the coming days.
"I'm also keeping an eye on the tropical situation where we could see moisture move its way up from the south going into the weekend. That could trigger some thunderstorms up in the Sierra," Berg said.
The heat is expected to finally break after Friday, with temperatures for the weekend getting into the upper 80s, low 90s.
Find the full forecast here:
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The hot weather will dry fuels, meaning fires can start quickly and spread faster.
If you are going to be camping this weekend, be very careful with any campfires and do not leave them unattended.
Be aware of your surroundings and be ready to move if you see or smell smoke.
Fire officials across the region are worried that the high heat, paired with the dry conditions, will spread fires easier. Sacramento Metro Fire Captain Parker Wilbourn said that it is especially concerning with many people expected to grill outside, including in the wildland areas, during the holiday weekend.
"With the conditions being so hot, we are on edge," Wilbourn said. "Sometimes it just takes that small spark, whether it be from a barbecue or a chain hitting the ground from a trailer or any open flame at a campsite, a small spark can create a very large wildfire that threatens our communities and threatens our homes.”
KCRA 3’s weather team has developed a tool the team will be using to keep you informed as fire conditions change. It’s called the Fire Threat Index. This will give you an idea of the fire risk on any given day in different areas of our coverage region so you can plan ahead.
Toggle below to see the Fire Threat Index for different parts of Northern California over the next few days:
Slideshow 4 photos Share Copy Link Copy {copyShortcut} to copy Link copied! Fire Threat Index: Coastal Hills 1 of 4 2 of 4 3 of 4 4 of 4 1 of 4 1 of 4
The Fire Index will stay in the High category until cooler weather arrives next week.
| Weather Resources | Important numbers for outages, more
| MORE | Placer County issues air quality advisory due to wildfire smoke
Cooling centers across Northern California are open to allow some residents to get a break from the forecasted week of triple-digit heat.
| Read More | Here are the cooling centers opening Thursday amid forecast triple digits in NorCal
| VIDEO BELOW | What to know about heat-related illnesses
California's grid operator is asking people to conserve power for the tenth day in a row as it extended its Flex Alert into Friday. Residents are urged to conserve electricity from 3 p.m. until 10 p.m.
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District, or SMUD, is also asking customers to conserve electricity from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Officials say that if people don't dramatically ramp up conservation efforts, the state may be forced to turn to rotating outages.
This week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order meant to ramp up the state's energy supply temporarily.
| MORE | Flex Alert issued for Californians amid forecasted triple-digit temperatures
Customers can help ease pressure on the grid by easing power usage during the afternoon and evening:
| Video Below | California residents asked to ease power usage as temperatures rise in coming week
The Sacramento County Division of Public Health and Office of Emergency Services in a release Wednesday that it recommends outdoor events between noon to 8 p.m. be canceled.
This includes youth sports, community gatherings, parades, marches or any events that could involve children, older adults, or any people with compromised immune systems that may be sensitive to the heat.
| VIDEO BELOW | Event organizers make changes to account for weekend heat
As the name suggests, a heat dome is a region of very warm or hot air that can linger in the same general location for several days to a couple of weeks. This is a fairly common weather pattern in the U.S. West during the summer months.
The "dome" effect is created when a strong area of high pressure lingers over an area for an extended period of time. The stronger the high, the more likely it is to trap air underneath it.
The longer that air remains trapped in place, the more the sun works to heat the air, producing gradual warming day after day.
Any area of high pressure, whether a "heat dome" or not, forces air to slowly sink. Sinking air compresses as it reaches the ground and that forces the air to warm up even more.
Air also gets drier as it sinks. Drier air can heat more dramatically than air that is moister, so this can even further amplify warming.
| Read More | What is a heat dome and how is it impacting Northern California heat?
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