San Francisco Bay Area roasts as extremely high temps persist into July 4th holiday
With no relief from the heat forecast for inland parts of the San Francisco Bay Area until next week, much of the region continued to cook with higher than normal temperatures on the July 4th holiday.
According to KPIX chief meteorologist Paul Heggen, inland highs on Independence Day and Friday will range from 95°-105°, with highs around San Francisco Bay hitting the 80s to near 90°. The regions coastal communities will remain popular with thermometer readings only reaching the 70s.
In warmer inland areas, there will be some limited overnight relief with low temperatures in the mid 60s to low 80s.
Wednesday was slightly less scorching than Tuesday, with fewer records for the date with both San Rafael (100°, breaking a 2001 record of 99°) and Livermore (110°, breaking a 2001 record of 109°) setting new new marks for the date.
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Heggen says residents should see a slight decrease in temperatures Saturday and Sunday, but it will still be extremely hot inland. He noted that the National Weather Service has extended the inland Excessive Heat Warning and bayside Heat Advisory all the way through Wednesday, but speculated the extension could be "a couple days too many (especially for the Heat Advisory)."
However, Heggen said temperatures will continue to run above-average, even as the region trends closer to "hot" instead of "crazy hot."
The Red Flag Warning the East Bay hills and interior mountains of the North Bay has been extended all the way through 9 p.m. Saturday.
Residents are advised to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Bay Area counties have opened cooling centers across the region for those who do not have air conditioning.
The increased fire danger due to the higher temperatures remained evident as crews dealt with several large fires in the Bay Area and Northern California, including the Thompson Fire in Butte County that forced some 28,000 people to evacuate the area around Oroville, and the Toll Fire in Napa County just north of Calistoga.
On Thursday morning, the new Grande Fire broke out in a remote area of Stanislaus County. So far it has burned over 300 acres.
The hot temperatures led to the cancellation of some daytime July 4th festivities (in Antioch and Yountville) and fireworks shows (in St. Helena and Healdsburg), but many holiday celebrations are continuing as planned.
Parks closed Tuesday by the East Bay Regional Park District will remain closed at least through Friday, according to district officials. However, swim facilities and shoreline regional parks were set to remain open through heat event. The district will reassess conditions and provide additional information Friday evening. Information on all the parks closed by the hot weather can be found on the EBRPD website.
