California Faces New Threat, Weather Officials Warn

Excessive heat will likely return to central California and parts of the Desert Southwest by the middle of next week, the National Weather Service (NWS) Climate Prediction Center warned on Thursday.

This summer, California battled weeks of heat that sent temperatures soaring well past 100 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas. July 2024 was the hottest month California has ever seen, Newsweek previously reported, spiking temperatures to 129 degrees Fahrenheit in Death Valley in southern California.

Stifling heat will return next week, as meteorologists have identified a moderate risk of temperatures soaring into the triple digits for parts of California once again. The high temperatures, accompanied by other weather factors, could heighten the risk of wildfires.

“A moderate risk of excessive heat (100-110F) is posted for the Central Valley of CA and parts of the Desert Southwest, with a broader slight risk over much of the West,” the NWS Climate Prediction Center posted on X, formerly Twitter. “The combination of excessive heat, gusty winds, and late summer dryness may increase the risk of wildfires.”

Several NWS offices throughout central California also warned of the potential heat.

“Hotter temperatures return by the middle of next week. Here are some probabilities of highs reaching 105 degrees or hotter,” the NWS office in Hanford posted on X on Thursday, including a graph that showed there was a 55 percent chance of temperatures greater than 105 degrees Fahrenheit in Fresno and Hanford by the end of next week.

NWS meteorologist Antoinette Serrato told Newsweek that temperatures will be around 8 to 10 degrees above normal for the San Joaquin Valley on Wednesday and Thursday next week. Those prone to heat-related illnesses should take precautions, she said.

The NWS office in the Bay Area also advised people to be “mindful about a warming trend expected next week as a ridge builds across the western US.”

A graph included with the post showed that temperatures are expected to exceed 100 degrees in Concord next week, with several cities in the Bay Area expecting to see temperatures soaring past 90 degrees, including Cloverdale, Santa Rosa, Livermore, San Jose, Hollister and others.

Extreme heat is deadly for many people each year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that approximately 1,220 people are killed by extreme heat in the U.S. annually. According to temperature outlooks, the Pacific Northwest also is expecting temperatures above normal through September 7. During the same timeframe, the central U.S. and the Midwest can expect slightly below-average temperatures.

The forecast comes as much of the Midwest and East Coast battled record-breaking temperatures this week. However, in Montana, a cold front dumped 12 inches of snow in Glacier National Park, prompting meteorologists to issue a winter weather advisory in August.