Good morning. It's Tuesday, July 2. Here's what you need to know to start your day.
Prolonged, extended and hot: What to know about the heat wave
Get ready, California: A prolonged heat wave is hitting much of the state today and will simmer through the Fourth of July holiday weekend, then linger into next week for some regions. That heat also brings heightened risk of fires — and the potential for power shutoffs aimed to avoid sparking them.
The National Weather Service is warning that dangerously high temperatures will blanket much of Northern California and the Central Valley, along with Southern California's inland valleys and mountains and southwestern deserts.
Los Angeles County's coastal valleys and deserts could see highs from 96 to 116 degrees, weather service officials warned. Coastal regions could see temperature into the mid-90s.
Construction workers brave 90-degree temperatures as they build homes in Fontana. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Other expected high temperatures this week include:
- Up to 121 degrees in the Coachella Valley and San Diego County deserts
- 105 to 115 degrees in the Antelope Valley
- A possible peak of 125 for Death Valley
- Over 110 in northern Humboldt County
- Up to 115 in parts of Trinity and Lake counties
Extreme heat may not get the same news coverage as hurricanes or wildfires, but it kills more people than any other weather event.
An analysis by the Associated Press found that heat killed more than 2,300 people in the U.S. last year, setting a record. That figure is likely a major undercount, dozens of experts told AP reporters.
A 2022 heat wave killed an estimated 395 people in California, according to state health officials.
Extreme heat disproportionately affects children and the elderly, people with chronic illnesses, disabled people and those who are pregnant. And of course construction workers, landscapers, agricultural workers and others who work outdoors are at heightened risk of heat-related illnesses.
High temperatures can also make California's already worst-in-the-nation air quality even more terrible.
"Heat accelerates the formation of certain air pollutants and traps them closer to the ground," according to the state's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. "This combination increases the risk of respiratory, cardiovascular, and other health effects."
A new experimental heat risk tool created by the weather service shows the daily forecast risk of heat-related impacts in the state, represented in a color-coded index. Many inland regions are expected to face major or extreme heat impacts, shown in red and magenta, respectively.
The National Weather Service's HeatRisk map shows much of California at risk of major (red) or extreme (magenta) heat-related impacts as a heat wave hits the West this week. (
National Weather Service )
Extreme heat risks will mean "little to no overnight [temperature] relief," weather service officials say, and is likely to affect "most health systems, heat-sensitive industries and infrastructure."
The extreme heat will also prime our mountains and deserts for fires — and our penchant for shooting off explosives around the Fourth of July certainly won't help. A red flag warning is in effect through Wednesday for the Sacramento Valley and North Bay interior mountains.
The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services has also "strategically prepositioned critical fire engines and personnel" in several northern counties at high risk of wildfires this week.
The heat wave could last beyond the seven days that the National Weather Service currently has forecast. Long-range predictions from the Climate Prediction Center show a 70% to 90% chance that above-average temperatures will continue across the state through at least July 10.
Looking for ways to stay cool and avoid heat-related illness? The key advice from health and weather experts is to stay hydrated, limit outdoor activity during the hottest hours of the day and don't leave children or pets inside cars, where temperatures can turn lethal in minutes.
Check out these guides from The Times for more resources and advice about heat waves:
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Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Ryan Fonseca, reporter
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor and Saturday reporter
Christian Orozco, assistant editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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