Valley temperatures expected near record highs. Cooling centers open, free swimming at pools
Temperatures are expected to reach at least 105 degrees in the Fresno area Tuesday, coming close to a 106-degree record for June 11 set in 1979, according to National Weather Service data.
Meteorologist Jim Andersen with the National Weather Service at Hanford said he wouldn’t be surprised if some central San Joaquin Valley areas break that record.
Valley temperatures should drop below 100 degrees in most places by Friday, with highs in the 90s this weekend.
High pressure weather systems above the Valley are contributing to the spike in heat, while recent low pressure systems, unusual for spring in the region, brought previous spring storms, Andersen said.
Could the Valley and Sierra Nevada see more spring storms?
“I’m not going to say never this year,” Andersen said. “This year has been really crazy.”
Andersen also warned residents not to let hot temperatures tempt them to swim in area rivers, because they are flowing dangerously fast.
He said taking a dive in them now “can be deadly.”
Cooling centers open, free swimming
The cities of Fresno and Madera announced that they have opened cooling centers. Fresno also announced free swimming at certain pools when cooling centers are open.
City officials said cooling centers are opened when the National Weather Service expects temperatures to be at, or above, 105 degrees. But cooling centers may still be opened if below 105 degrees.
Fresno’s cooling centers will not be open Wednesday since the forecast is below 105.
When open, Fresno cooling centers are open from noon to 8 p.m. at the following locations:
▪ Ted C. Wills Community Center, 770 N. San Pablo Ave.
▪ Frank H. Ball Neighborhood Center, 760 Mayor Ave.
▪ Mosqueda Community Center, 4670 E. Butler Ave.
▪ Pinedale Community Center, 7170 N. San Pablo Ave.
Fresno’s FAX bus system will provide free transportation along normal routes to and from cooling centers when the centers are open.
A number of swimming pools in Fresno are also open free of charge when cooling centers are open, including a number of high school pools via the Blue Space program, a partnership between Fresno and Fresno Unified School District.
The following Fresno pools are open 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.:
▪ Mosqueda Community Center
▪ Frank H. Ball Neighborhood Center
▪ Mary Ella Brown Community Center, 1350 E. Annadale Ave.
The following Fresno Unified pools are open 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.:
▪ Edison High School, 540 E. California Ave.
▪ Roosevelt High School, 4250 E. Tulare St.
▪ Fresno High School, 1839 N. Echo Ave.
▪ Sunnyside High School, 1019 S. Peach Ave.
▪ Bullard High School, 5445 N. Palm Ave. (open for swim lessons only)
More information about Fresno cooling centers is available at fresno.gov/parks/activities-recreational-programs/cooling-centers/.
The city of Madera announced its cooling centers would be open through Friday. Those Madera centers are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Pan Am Community Center, 703 E. Sherwood Way, and Frank Bergon Senior Center, 238 S. D St.
Madera Dial-A-Ride is offering free bus rides to and from cooling centers between 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Riders must advise dispatch that they desire to be taken to a cooling center. Residents can contact Dial-A-Ride at 559-661-7433.
More information about Madera cooling centers is available online at madera.gov or by calling 559-661-5495.
This story was originally published June 11, 2019 at 1:13 PM with the headline "Valley temperatures expected near record highs. Cooling centers open, free swimming at pools."
