SF Bay Area heat wave: Here's a timeline of dangerously high temperatures

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Saturday, September 3, 2022
TIMELINE: Here's when Bay Area will be hottest this heat wave
ABC7 News meteorologist Drew Tuma broke down a timeline for this SF Bay Area heat wave and where you can go to escape the dangerous temperatures.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Excessive heat will be making its way into the San Francisco Bay Area this upcoming holiday weekend. ABC7 News meteorologist Drew Tuma knows how serious the high temps can be. In 2017 just after Labor Day, he shared a scary heat exhaustion experience with the ABC7 News team.

To help us this Labor Day weekend, he broke down a timeline for this heat wave and where you can go to escape the dangerous temperatures.

LIVE: Track real-time temperatures amid Bay Area heat wave

Will it be as hot as Labor Day weekend 2017?

Likely we'll find record temps and the rising risk of heat illness for several days. If you remember back during the Labor Day weekend 2017, when the city hit its all-time high of 106 and records falling left and right, it will not be the same story for this upcoming weekend.

You'll find a wide range of temperatures, including dangerous heat inland, but the coast will remain comfy. Area-wide, with these hot temps, it does come with elevated fire danger.

LIST: Cooling centers around the Bay Area

Wondering why San Francisco is such an outlier?

The city is surrounded on three sides by a chilly ocean that's currently at 56 degrees. Winds travel off the chilly ocean into the city, so it's hard to get hot temperatures.

What you need to find is that offshore wind coming from the East Bay and traveling go to the coastline - that's how you get hot temperatures in the city. But that's not what we will experience Friday or the upcoming weekend.

Here's what we have in terms of advisories:

Heat advisory: 11 a.m. Sunday - 8 p.m. Monday

Highs: 90+

Mostly areas around the Bay (not SF or immediate coastline)

Excessive Heat Warning: 11 a.m. Sunday - 8 p.m. Tuesday

Dangerous heat: 100-107+

Risk of heat illness

Mostly inland areas

Most of the state is under an Excessive Heat Warning, Excessive Heat Watch or Heat Advisory.

VIDEO: Extreme heat dangers and safety tips: What you need to know

AccuWeather has tips for making it through a prolonged heat wave.

Timeline:

Friday

Temperatures Friday will be a little bit cooler compared to temperatures Thursday. There will be 70s and 80s around the Bay shoreline.

Highs are hot around the state. Los Angeles at 94, 109 in Palm Springs, 111 in Fresno, 107 in Redding - but San Francisco really stands out at 68.

Saturday & Sunday

After a brief dip in temperatures Friday, they will really take off Saturday. Then on Sunday, it will be very hot with record highs likely. Remember, the excessive heat warning and heat advisory will go into effect Sunday morning.

Monday

Labor Day Monday is going to be the hottest day we have throughout this heat wave. Temperatures will not only best 100 degrees, but exceeding past 105 even to 110 in some areas.

When will it cool off?

We will begin to cool off by Wednesday and Thursday but just know temperatures wills till be above average for this time of year.

You can track real-time temperatures throughout the weekend here.

VIDEO: Here's why everyone, even you, needs to take this Bay Area heat wave seriously

As you celebrate Labor Day this weekend, here is what experts say to look out for to stay healthy in the extreme heat.

Where can I escape the heat?

We have excessive heat warnings and heat advisories starting on Sunday, but one place will escape the heat is the coast.

There are foggy skies in Santa Cruz as of Friday morning.

One place that will be popular this weekend are our area beaches. Temps will be mainly in the 60s and 70s, Santa Cruz a little bit warmer but only topping out in the low 80s.

How do you beat the heat and stay safe?

So how do you beat the heat? Drink plenty of water. Also, be sure to find shade or visit a cooling center if possible.

Don't leave people or pets inside your car - the inside can heat up quickly under these conditions. Also, be sure to walk your pets or exercise early in the morning or later in the evening so the pavement isn't nearly as hot.

And know the signs of heat exhaustion. Take it from Drew Tuma, who had heat exhaustion during the 2017 heat wave, it can really come on fast. If your body stops sweating, that is an indication that you should seek medical attention.

Air quality:

When we get this high pressure, it traps all the pollutants near the atmosphere. Moderate air quality will be found Friday, Saturday, throughout the weekend and next week. You will notice a haze in the atmosphere.

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