California is currently in the midst of historic drought conditions. This week, a heatwave swept drought-stricken Northern California, breaking records and heating an already dried landscape.
Heat Rises to the Triple Digits
While Cal Fire exhibit just a handful of blazes now burning - majority of which are largely contained - dry and hot and conditions have prompt the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue advisories and excessive heat warnings in the area. Temperatures started to increase following Memorial Day weekend, and cities north of Sacramento made a report of heat rising to the triple digits.
On the holiday, the city of Redding noticed a high of 109 degrees Fahrenheit, reportedly setting a new endless high for the month of May, according to AccuWeather. Residents of Sacramento also experienced the first over 100-degree day of the year, with residents cooling off at the American River.
On Monday, a man, 49, drowned in the river and was identified on Tuesday by the Sacramento County Coroner's Office as Romele Isaac Walton. The NWS in Sacramento said Monday in a tweet: "It's hot out there! This afternoon record high temperatures are likely in the Valley. Take plenty of water, reduce outdoor activities and don't forget your pets!"
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Delta Breeze
On Wednesday, the agency said an average Delta Breeze had cooled the "above normal" highs of the city. The heat is forecast to continue throughout the weekend, outstretching throughout some other Western states where fire danger is also a worry.
Images showed critical reservoirs and lakes without water in them and on Tuesday authorities carried out a mass evacuation of about 130 houseboats from Butte County's Lake Oroville, the second-largest reservoir in the state. Researchers from San Jose State University's Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center in April revealed to SFGate that they were "amazed" to find no new development on shrubs in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Data from the California Department of Water Resources reveals the Golden State's snowpack - a critical source of water - is at 0% of the normal percentage for June 1, although SFGate noted that implies the snow has liquefied at the majority of the electronic survey stations through the mountains.
High Pressure Produces Extreme Heat
Gavin Newsom - Democratic Gov. has announced a drought emergency in 41 of the state's counties as the menace of the summer fire season looms. Cal Fire has reported a rise in wildfires and acres burned compared to that of last year, urging residents to get ready. In 2020, over 4 million acres were burned by wildfires and Bay Area skies turned a dystopian orange.
As high pressure keeps producing extreme heat, the Northwest is forecast to undergo some relief as a weak cold front gets to the region by Thursday night. The NWS said Wednesday that the front is anticipated to bring a few isolated showers and thunderstorms, reducing the risk of heat-related sicknesses.
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