SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Those blistering sunny days should be over this weekend, as weather experts predict Friday will be the last day of a week-long heatwave that sent some Bay Area people scrambling to the beach.
The heat wave this past week was caused by an upper-level ridge, or an elongated area of high pressure in the mid-to-upper atmosphere.
Thursday and Friday appear to have been the peak of the heat wave, reaching a max of 81 degrees in areas such as San Francisco and 87 degrees in Sacramento.
Temperatures on Friday are expected to peak at around 80 to 82 degrees in San Francisco and up to 90 degrees in Sacramento. Castro Valley is slated to hit 94 degrees, Healdsburg will hit 93 degrees, while Livermore and San Mateo will hit 91 degrees.
“These are very hot temperatures, temperatures you would see in August or September,” National Weather Service Meteorologist Dial Hoang told Patch. “We’re breaking a lot of records.”
Temperatures in Northern California reached between 84 and 94 degrees in some parts, including about 87 degrees in Sacramento, 94 degrees in Redding, and 88 degrees in Chico. The temperatures not only broke records for daily temperature highs, but also all-time records for March, Hoang said.
Temperatures are expected to significantly reduce from a hot pattern to pretty warm or pretty hot — still slightly above the seasonal average, Hoang said.
The Inland Valley is expected to reach temperatures between the upper 70s and low 80s. Downtown San Francisco and Oakland’s forecast is in the lower 70s, while coastal cities are expected to be in the lower to middle 60s, Hoang said.
Experts say people should continue taking precautions through Friday, especially the elderly, children and pregnant women who may be more susceptible to heat symptoms.