Excessive heat, poor air quality hitting Fresno and the Central Valley. But for how long?
Fresno is in the midst of a triple threat of weather-related risks.
The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for San Joaquin Valley on Saturday, where temperatures of 102 to 107 degrees are likely through Sunday. At the same time, it is calling for elevated fire conditions in the Tulare County mountains, especially in the afternoons when there is typically lower relative humidity.
Compounding things are several massive wildfires burning across the state, including the Caldor Fire, which is moving toward the mountains above Lake Tahoe. The Walkers and French fires are burning south of Fresno in Tulare and Kern counties, respectively.
On Friday, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District issued an air-quality alert as northwesterly winds transported wildfire smoke into the Valley.
The smoke was so bad in parts of Fresno on Friday night that officials stopped a high school football game between San Joaquin Memorial and Hanford at halftime. The air-quality index in Fresno was 164, an unhealthy level. Good AQI readings register from 0 to 50. The level of particulate matter in the air was well above safe levels.
Looking at readings for Fresno on Saturday, purpleair.com reported several spots with PM2.5 particulate levels at or exceeding 150, the level at which everyone will experience health affects from prolonged exposure.
During this time residents should take measures to mitigate smoke risk, including keeping windows and doors closed and using fans and air conditioning to stay cool. Set air conditioning systems to recirculate mode, or close the outdoor intake damper. Those with evaporative coolers should avoid using them unless there is a heat emergency.
At least one of the hazards will let up next week, as temperatures are forecast to drop to the highs 90s on Tuesday. By Friday, highs in the area could be in the upper 80s to low 90s, the Weather Service said.
This story was originally published August 28, 2021 at 11:23 AM.