CALIFORNIA – Winter is truly over for California. The Golden State is strapping in for some potential record-breaking heat this weekend, as the first official day of summer approaches next week. Cities up and down the state, particularly in the central regions, will experience highs over 100 degrees.
"The weather pattern will bring the hottest weather of the year so far to many areas in the Southwest," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Ken Clark.
These areas, according to AccuWeather, include Sacramento, though key regions like Bakersfield and Fresno are expected to hit over 100 degrees through the weekend and into next week. More coastal regions, however, are not projected to get as hot and will mostly likely not break 100.
“Bakersfield is famous for triple digit heat. As a local farming company, we have learned to embrace the hot temperatures and adapt our farming techniques so the change in climate does not impact our harvest,” Gina Pettit, Marketing and Specialty Sales Manager at Country Sweet Produce, tells us. “The Bako Sweet team welcomes the warm weather every summer, as it coincides with our watermelon harvest. Mr. Valpredo always says the summer heat in Bakersfield makes people want to eat more sweet, juicy watermelon. No better way to enjoy the summer weekend than to be poolside with a Bako Sweet watermelon.”
Weather.com noted that a large dome of high pressure will be in place over the Southwest and other affected regions, which will cause soaring temperatures as air sinks. Cities even further South than California, such as Phoenix, are set to potentially break an all-time record-high.
"As of right now, we're not expecting any significant impacts on our California organic stonefruit production from this weekend's hot temperatures," Cherie France, Marketing Manager, tells ANUK. "No matter how wild the weather may be, the Homegrown Organic Farms team considers it just another factor in what we do; we're just along for the ride!"
The Washington Post reported that the worst of the heat may be seen past the weekend on Monday or Tuesday, when some regions will experience temperatures 15 to 30 degrees above normal. The National Weather Service released an Excessive Heat Watch for the Sacramento region, but advised that the hot weather is set to break on Wednesday.
"The upcoming warming trend, although unlikely, could potentially pose a threat to quality in the weeks to follow," shares Josh Roberts, Director of Organic Ag Operations for Taylor Farms. "Crops perform best in mild conditions free from stress caused from extremes, hot or cold. Taylor Farms sources raw from multiple growing areas to help minimize such risks.”
California just saw a surprising sweep of wet weather last week, experiencing a blast of cool air, thunderstorms, and even snow. This winter, as most of our readers remember, was a notably wet one that helped end drought conditions for most of the state.
What’s next for California as the first day of summer approaches on June 20? AndNowUKnow will keep an eye on the regions.
