Intense heat keeps Fresno sizzling, while breaking previous record-high that stood for 118 years

Record-shattering heat scorched Fresno like the city had never experienced before on a September 7.

According to the National Weather Service, Fresno on Wednesday hit 111 degrees — going down as the hottest Sept. 7 in the city’s history since temperatures were recorded.

Fresno’s previous high for Sept. 7 was 108 degrees in 1904 (when the United States was comprised of just 45 states).

Fresno’s record heat Wednesday came in the wake of Tuesday’s near all-time high when the city reached 114 degrees, which was one degree shy of tying the hottest temperature ever logged in Fresno’s history on any day of the year.

Even Fresno’s coolest temperature from Wednesday turned out to set a record.

The National Weather Service in Hanford said Wednesday’s low of 79 degrees, which occurred during the morning, goes down as the hottest high-minimum temperature in Fresno history.

“It’s been nothing but 100-plus degree days in September for Fresno, and Fresno has just experienced the two hottest days of 2022,” NWS meteorologist Jeff Barlow said. “It’s been hot in Fresno in September before. The intensity of this heat, though, has been unusual.”

The week of excessive heat in the central San Joaquin Valley and beyond is a product of a heat dome hovering over much of the Golden State.

Heat domes are typically caused by a “strong change in ocean temperatures from west to east in the tropical Pacific Ocean,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and can bring extreme heat waves.

That steamy air can then become trapped under a dome-like area of high pressure and cause “vast areas of sweltering heat,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration added.

The National Weather Service extended the excessive heat advisory through Friday.

For those going to the Fresno State football game on Saturday, though, the NWS predicts the Bulldogs’ 7:30 p.m. opening kickoff temperature to be at 89 degrees.

“We’ll still see temperatures above 105 degrees through Friday,” Barlow said. “But then cloud cover will come in from Hurricane Kay in Baja (Mexico), and will cool us down.

“We could even see a sprinkle around the Valley on Saturday, more so in the mountains with possibly heavier thunderstorms. In the city, there might be a few drops on your car.”

For the year, the city of Fresno has experienced 63 days of triple-digit heat.

In fact, 26 of the past 27 days in Fresno have reached at least 100 degrees based on data from the National Weather Service.

This story was originally published September 7, 2022 at 10:04 PM.