Unusual humidity wave hits Fresno

The neckline of Kimberly Ashford’s green polo shirt is soaked with sweat after a full day of standing in the sweltering sun raking goat dung, educating families about Valley farm animals and making sure all animals and visitors are safe at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo.

“I’m always using it to wipe my sweat,” she said. “My makeup is gone at the end of the day, and I’m starting to get the farmers’ tan. I have the shorts line. It’s not very pretty because the shorts are so long.”

The heat topped out at 102 in Fresno on Wednesday, as cloudy conditions kept the Valley cooler than originally forecast. A few lightning strikes touched down in the mountains, prompting a severe thunderstorm warning Wednesday evening for Fresno, Madera, Mariposa and Merced counties. 

The strange heat and storm activity will continue Thursday, the National Weather Service in Hanford said. It predicted a high of 102 in Fresno with chances of rain, thunder and lightning throughout the Valley.

Ashford, 22, educator and interpretive guide for Chaffee Zoo’s Valley Farm attraction, is no stranger to the heat.

A native of Corcoran, she moved to Fresno last year and started working at the zoo in August 2014. She works 25 hours a week, eight hours a day, with only two 10-minute breaks and a half-hour for lunch in the outdoor exhibit featuring farm animals and crops from the Valley.

“Tuesday it felt crazy hot, like 109 degrees, and with that there’s lots of times you make more trips to get water,” she said. “Luckily there are usually two other workers in the farm, and we constantly rotate people to grab water bottles to stay hydrated throughout the day.”

Ashford said she’s always finding ways to beat the heat during her shifts.

She wears hats and sunglasses when the sun is out, but sometimes she’s envious of the animals.

“I see our chickens jump in their drinkers and waters and just stand in their water,” she said. “I just want to take off my shoes and jump in there. I wish I had a bucket to dunk my feet.”

The past couple of days, she said, she’s been going with and without a tank top under her shirt to see which is cooler. Surprisingly, the tank top offers more relief.

“I don’t like the feeling of sweat rolling down my back,” Ashford said.

While on a bathroom break, she saw a guest with one of those towels that supposedly helps people cool down once water is applied and the towel is snapped. She asked if it actually worked and the response was, “not really.”

Guests normally tell her they stay cool by using misters, bringing towels and drinking lots of water when they visit the zoo. 

On hotter days, people usually don’t visit. Ashford said that’s beneficial for the educators, because they can go to where there are fans to cool down, clean up and make meals for the animals.

In the past, she has worked outdoors under the sun for long hours. She worked for researchers in the dairy cow industry and would be out in the dairy sometimes wearing pants and full zip-up coveralls. 

Her job at the zoo is no different. She said she’s used to performing daily tasks under the sun with the animals while also interacting with families and visitors.

“It’s hot, but I’m not about to pass out or anything,” Ashford said. “I’m good.”

A surge of moisture blowing through the central San Joaquin Valley on Wednesday brought muggy conditions and a chance of light rain along with it, the National Weather Service in Hanford said.

The high temperature in Fresno for Wednesday was originally forecast for around 107, but it only reached 102. The humidity ended up playing a very minor role in the heat, as the Valley dried out during the warmest part of the day.

People reported showers early Wednesday afternoon in Clovis and northeast Fresno. The National Weather Service measured trace amounts of rain throughout the Valley. 

The state is in the midst of a second straight day of Flex Alert, issued by the California Independent System Operator, which runs the state’s transmission grid. The ISO considers a Flex Alert an early warning of possible electricity outages. During an alert, the ISO asks people to conserve power through 9 p.m. The agency wants businesses and residents to turn off unnecessary lights, avoid using appliances and turn thermostats to 78 degrees or higher.

In preparation for more hot weather, Fresno Unified announced that it will open three high school pools for community use on days where the forecast reaches 105. 

Fresno High School’s pool will open from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. McLane and Roosevelt high schools will open from noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and stay open an extra hour on Saturday.

A $1 entry fee will be charged at each gate. The pools will be closed on July 4 and after Aug. 14.

This story was originally published July 1, 2015 at 11:51 AM with the headline "Unusual humidity wave hits Fresno."