Sacramento’s temperature has reached 110 degrees or higher just 38 times in the city’s recorded weather history.
Sacramento’s temperature has reached 110 degrees or higher just 38 times in the city’s recorded weather history.
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Sacramento’s temperature has reached 110 degrees or higher just 38 times in the city’s recorded weather history.
Friday marked day six of Northern California’s heatwave. The heat has intensified each day.
According to the National Weather Service, downtown Sacramento’s high temperature reached 110 degrees on Friday afternoon. That is a new daily record high for July 5. The previous record of 108 degrees was set in 2007.
Other Valley locations recorded high temperatures ranging from 105 to 109 degrees.
In the Sierra, South Lake Tahoe set a new daily record high with an afternoon maximum temperature of 90 degrees. The previous record was 89 degrees, also set in 2007.
Weather records date back to 1877 for downtown Sacramento.
During those 146 years, downtown Sacramento has reached 110 degrees or higher just 38 times, including Friday.
More than half (21) of those 38 days came after 1990. Nine of those 38 days happened in the past three years.
These numbers reflect a trend that climate scientists are observing around the world.
According to Climate Central’s “Climate Shift Index,” climate change is making extremely hot days like Friday four times more likely for the Sacramento Valley.
Changes in global climate patterns can be directly linked to dramatic increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide. Those CO2 increases are a result of the prevalence of fossil fuels in today’s society.
This hot weather pattern is expected to continue through the weekend.
More record temperatures are expected on Saturday afternoon from the Valley to the Sierra.
The KCRA 3 weather team is forecasting a high temperature of 111 degrees for Sacramento. The current record high for July 6 is 105 degrees, set in 1989.
Stockton is expected to reach 110 degrees. Communities in the Foothills will experience afternoon temperatures around 105 degrees.
The early morning hours will be the best time to get outside. Conditions will start comfortably in the Valley, with low temperatures in the upper 60s. Most areas in the Valley will be back in the 100s by 1 p.m. There will be no delta breeze to knock the temperature down in the evening.
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