Clovis Unified limits sports due to heat, smoke

The hot, smoky conditions in the Valley have led the Clovis Unified School District to cancel outdoor sports at its campuses Friday and Saturday.

District spokeswoman Kelly Avants said that an elementary-grade football carnival planned for Saturday would not be held, nor would cross-country events for Friday. Activities that can be held indoors are permitted.

Middle school football games will have a starting time of 7:45 a.m. Saturday, not 8:30, so the contests can be completed by noon, she said. High school events will occur as scheduled, but there will be extended water breaks and added timeouts to keep players hydrated and guard against heat-related problems, Avants said.

Another hot, smoky day is expected across the Valley on Friday as a result of a “stagnant” air pattern, the National Weather Service said.

Thursday’s high in Fresno reached 105 degrees, and that mark is forecast again on Friday. The heat wave finally starts easing up on Saturday, when the high is to reach 102, and then begins a retreat into the 90s on Sunday, the weather service forecasters in Hanford said.

An alert for poor air quality Friday has been issued by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. The Rough fire burning east of Fresno is creating the smoke.

This story was originally published September 10, 2015 at 7:26 PM with the headline "Clovis Unified limits sports due to heat, smoke."