California, 2020

Excessive Heat in California, May 26 to 28, 2020

May 26 to 28, 2020 · NWS HNX · 14 events in 14 counties and zones

A large area of high pressure built into California on May 25 and May 26. This resulted in much above normal daytime temperatures on both days with some locations setting new daily records on May 26.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
14

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS HNX wrote it up.

A large area of high pressure built into California on May 25 and May 26. This resulted in much above normal daytime temperatures on both days with some locations setting new daily records on May 26. The high then strengthened on May 27 and May 28 resulting in widespread record heat over the region on both days with highs in the San Joaquin Valley mainly between 103 and 107 on both days. Triple digit heat was also observed across portions of the Sierra foothills and Kern County Deserts. Temperatures cooled by several degrees on May 29 and lowered to below seasonal averages by May 30 as the large area high pressure broke down, and a cold front pushed through the area.

Event by event

14 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Excessive Heat, West Side Hills

When
May 26, 10:00 AM PST to May 28, 7:00 PM PST
Where
West Side Hills forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Daytime highs ranged between 100 and 104 degrees on May 26 and between 103 and 107 degrees on May 27 and May 28.

Excessive Heat, San Joaquin Confluence

When
May 26, 10:00 AM PST to May 28, 7:00 PM PST
Where
San Joaquin Confluence forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Daytime highs ranged between 100 and 104 degrees on May 26 and between 103 and 107 degrees on May 27 and May 28.

Excessive Heat, Merced and Madera

When
May 26, 10:00 AM PST to May 28, 7:00 PM PST
Where
Merced and Madera forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Daytime highs ranged between 100 and 104 degrees on May 26 and between 103 and 107 degrees on May 27 and May 28.

Excessive Heat, Western San Joaquin Valley

When
May 26, 10:00 AM PST to May 28, 7:00 PM PST
Where
Western San Joaquin Valley forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Daytime highs ranged between 100 and 104 degrees on May 26 and between 103 and 107 degrees on May 27 and May 28.

Excessive Heat, Foggy Bottom

When
May 26, 10:00 AM PST to May 28, 7:00 PM PST
Where
Foggy Bottom forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Daytime highs ranged between 100 and 104 degrees on May 26 and between 103 and 107 degrees on May 27 and May 28.

Excessive Heat, Fresno

When
May 26, 10:00 AM PST to May 28, 7:00 PM PST
Where
Fresno forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Daytime highs ranged between 100 and 104 degrees on May 26 and between 103 and 107 degrees on May 27 and May 28.

Excessive Heat, Tulare County

When
May 26, 10:00 AM PST to May 28, 7:00 PM PST
Where
Tulare County forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Daytime highs ranged between 100 and 104 degrees on May 26 and between 103 and 107 degrees on May 27 and May 28.

Excessive Heat, Southern Kings County

When
May 26, 10:00 AM PST to May 28, 7:00 PM PST
Where
Southern Kings County forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Daytime highs ranged between 100 and 104 degrees on May 26 and between 103 and 107 degrees on May 27 and May 28.

Excessive Heat, Western San Joaquin Valley in Kern County

When
May 26, 10:00 AM PST to May 28, 7:00 PM PST
Where
Western San Joaquin Valley in Kern County forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Daytime highs ranged between 100 and 104 degrees on May 26 and between 103 and 107 degrees on May 27 and May 28.

Excessive Heat, Eastern San Joaquin Valley in Kern County

When
May 26, 10:00 AM PST to May 27, 7:00 PM PST
Where
Eastern San Joaquin Valley in Kern County forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Daytime highs ranged between 100 and 104 degrees on May 26 and between 103 and 107 degrees on May 27 and May 28.

Excessive Heat, Bakersfield

When
May 26, 10:00 AM PST to May 28, 7:00 PM PST
Where
Bakersfield forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Daytime highs ranged between 100 and 104 degrees on May 26 and between 103 and 107 degrees on May 27 and May 28.

Excessive Heat, Southern Sierra Foothills

When
May 27, 10:00 AM PST to May 28, 7:00 PM PST
Where
Southern Sierra Foothills forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Daytime highs ranged between 102 and 106 degrees on May 27 and May 28.

Excessive Heat, Indian Wells Valley

When
May 27, 10:00 AM PST to May 28, 7:00 PM PST
Where
Indian Wells Valley forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Daytime highs ranged between 105 and 109 degrees on May 27 and May 28.

Excessive Heat, Kern County Desert

When
May 27, 10:00 AM PST to May 28, 7:00 PM PST
Where
Kern County Desert forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Daytime highs ranged between 103 and 107 degrees on May 27 and May 28.

What these are

Excessive Heat
Heat at or above the local excessive heat warning criteria, or heat that caused deaths.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in California, May 2020

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 883875, 883876, 883877, 883878, 883880, 883881, 883882, 883883, 883884, 883885, 883886, 883887, 883888, 883889.