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Will Fresno Set Back-to-Back Heat Records?
How hot was it Wednesday in Fresno?
A record-breaking 105 degrees for May 27, with the possibility of another mark falling Thursday.
The National Weather Service in Hanford is predicting the thermometer will tick up another degree to 106. Should it hit 107, the May 28 record will fall as well.
High temperatures Thursday afternoon in Fresno and Bakersfield should fall just short of tying the daily records for maximum temperatures ever measured in Fresno and Bakersfield on May 28th. An Excessive Heat Warning is in effect until 7 PM PDT Thursday evening. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/RVJ299O1ML
— NWS Hanford (@NWSHanford) May 28, 2020
Wednesday’s scorcher was 19 degrees above normal and eclipsed the previous May 27 record of 104 set in 1974.
With the heat not expected to dip below 100 until Saturday, you might wonder what Fresno’s all-time recorded high temperature is.
The answer: 115, on July 9, 1915.
And, as far as hot spells go, this one is no match for what Fresnans endured July 23-25 in 2006. The high each of those days was 113 degrees.
Related Story: Three Days of Heat Will Bake Fresno. Don’t Risk Your Health.
If You Work Outdoors
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recommends that you answer these questions before working outdoors in the scorching heat:
- Do you have enough water?
- Is temporary shade available?
- Do you know the signs of heat illness?
- Is there someone you can call in an emergency?
Valley Cooling Centers Open
Fresno’s cooling centers are open from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday. There are two: Ted C. Wills Community Center, 770 N. San Pablo Ave., and Frank H. Ball Neighborhood Center, 760 Mayor Ave.
Free FAX bus service is available by telling the driver you are heading to a cooling center.
There are seven cooling centers in Merced County:
- Atwater, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., City Hall lobby on 750 E. Bellevue Road.
- Dos Palos, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., City-County Building on 1546 Golden Gate Ave.
- Gustine, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Community Room adjacent to the library at 205 Sixth St.
- Livingston, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., Police Department on 1446 C St.
- Los Banos, noon to 8 p.m., Community Center at 645 Seventh St.
- Merced, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., Merced Civic Center (Sam Pipes Room) on 678 W. 18th St.
- Planada, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Community Center, at 9167 Stanford St.
Hanford: the Longfield Center, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., 560 S. Douty St.
Madera: John W. Wells Youth Center Gymnasium, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., 701 E. 5th St.
Be Careful Near Fast-Moving Streams
The Valley has already seen several drowning deaths this month. Fast-moving rivers and creeks filled with cold Sierra snowmelt can pull you under the water. In addition, hypothermia can develop quickly.
Today will be 20 degrees above average for much of the forecast area. Area rivers may looking inviting to cool off but remember that area rivers are cold and swift! Practice cold water safety and recognize that hypothermia can develop rapidly in cold water. #cawx pic.twitter.com/i3Ev6u5z9i
— NWS Hanford (@NWSHanford) May 28, 2020
Related Story: 17-Year-old Drowns in the Tule River’s ‘Stairs’
