What was the longest stretch of 100-degree days in Sacramento? How long will this one last?
Sacramento is facing a searing heat wave that’s expected to last through the Fourth of July holiday.
However, it’s not the first time the city has encountered such extreme temperatures.
“Temperatures in California have risen about three degrees since the beginning of the 20th century,” said Katrina Hand, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Sacramento office. “The six warmest years on record have all occurred since 2014.”
When was the hottest day in Sacramento history?
Downtown Sacramento reached an all-time high temperature of 116 degrees on Sept. 6, 2022, the National Weather Service said, breaking a record set nearly a century ago.
Prior to 2022, the hottest day in the city’s history was recorded on July 17, 1925, when the temperature reached 114 degrees.
What was the city’s longest 100-degree heat wave?
Since the National Weather Service started keeping temperature records in July 1877, Sacramento has seen more than two dozen heat waves with high temperatures reaching 100 degrees or higher that have lasted six consecutive days or longer.
The city’s longest period of 100-degree heat was in July 2009 and lasted 11 consecutive days, the weather service said.
In 2022, downtown Sacramento recorded triple-digit temperatures for 10 consecutive days, from Aug. 31 to Sep. 9, according to the weather service’s book of Sacramento climate records.
There have been 100-degree heat waves lasting for nine consecutive days at least four times — in August 1996, June 1981, July 1984 and August 1996.
According to the weather service, the longest consecutive stretch of days in Sacramento with maximum temperatures of 105 degrees was in August 1990. That heat wave lasted seven days.
How common are heat waves with triple-digit temperatures?
Heat waves with one- or two-day breaks between consecutive days of triple-digit temperatures have occurred frequently in the past, the weather service said.
In July 2023, high temperatures rose above 100 degrees from July 13 to 17 and from July 20 to 23, topping 100 degrees once more on July 25.
In all, 10 out of 13 days measured maximum temperatures greater than 100 degrees.
In August 2020, high temperatures exceeded 100 degrees from Aug. 9 to 10, Aug. 12 to 19 and Aug. 22 to 23. In total, 12 out of 15 days had highs greater than 100 degrees.
Sacramento also saw periods of triple-digit heat in 1929, 1980 and 2003, according to the weather service.
What’s in the weather forecast for Sacramento?
The National Weather Service is forecasting an extreme heat wave this week, with highs breaking 100 degrees Monday through Friday.
Sacramento will see a high temperature of 108 degrees on Tuesday, according to the weather service’s seven-day forecast, while Wednesday will reach a high of 110 degrees.
The agency is forecasting a high of 107 degrees on Thursday for the Independence Day holiday, followed by a high of 109 degrees on Friday.
“For the rest of this week and into the weekend, we do have major to extreme heat risk,” Hand said. “The hot temperatures will be impactful to everyone, not just those who are usually vulnerable.”
On Monday, the weather service has issued an excessive heat warning for the Sacramento Valley from 11 a.m. Tuesday to 8 p.m. Sunday, warning of “dangerously hot conditions” with high temperatures of 105 to 115 degrees.
There will be “limited overnight relief,” the agency said, when low temperatures drop to the upper 60s to mid 80s.”
“Heat-related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat events, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities,” the weather service said.
Here are some ways Sacramento residents can practice heat safety:
Seek out places with air conditioning such as cooling centers.
Stay out of the sun.
Avoid outdoor activities during the hottest hours of the day.
Drinking plenty of fluids.
Wear light clothing.
Never leave pets or people in unattended vehicles.
Know the signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses.
