Heat in California, May 24 to 25, 2022

Name: Heat in California, May 24 to 25, 2022
Start: 2022-05-24T12:00
End: 2022-05-25T21:41
Location: California

May 24 to 25, 2022 · NWS STO · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

High pressure over interior northern California brought widespread moderate to locally high heat risk to the region the last week of May. Triple digit temperatures were observed across much of the Valley on Tuesday May 24 and Wednesday May 25 with the hottest temperatures on May 25th.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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 STO wrote it up.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Sacramento, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 24, 2:10 AM PST, 9 hours 50 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 24, 2:10 AM PST, 9 hours 50 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Sacramento CA
310 AM PDT Tue May 24 2022

.Synopsis...
Periods of breezy north winds and low humidity will result in
critical fire weather conditions through Wednesday morning.
Moderate, to locally high, heat risk continues through mid-week
with temperatures peaking Wednesday. Cooler weather returns later
this week with possible light precipitation over Shasta County.

&&

.Discussion...
Clear skies cover interior NorCal early this morning as the upper
ridge axis moves closer to the coast, and high clouds spilling
over the ridge have shifted further east. Offshore surface
pressure gradients have tightened a bit compared to early Monday
with a few northerly gusts of 10-20 mph occurring along the
western edge of the Sacramento Valley, and local northeast gusts
of 20-35 mph in the northern Sierra. Current temperatures are
running milder compared to 24 hours ago and are mainly in the 60s
to mid 70s across the Central Valley.

Temperatures will trend up into mid-week with widespread moderate
and locally high heat risk expected for the Valley today and
Wednesday as highs approach record levels. Overnight lows will
also be quite warm, especially tonight when Valley lows will only
drop to the mid 60s to mid 70s. A Heat Advisory remains in effect
until 11 pm Wednesday for the Valley and eastern Delta. Record
highs are most likely on Wednesday, the projected hottest day of
the week. Here are some record temperatures for the next couple of
days:

                 Tue (May 24)      Wed (May 25)
Redding..........102 (1982)        103 (1982)
Red Bluff........105 (1943)        105 (1982)
Downtown Sac.....100 (2001)        100 (2020 & 1951)
Sac Exec.........100 (1982)        100 (1951)
Stockton.........104 (1982)        102 (1979)

Ensembles show the ridge shifting east after mid-week allowing a
combination of synoptic cooling and onshore flow to bring relief
to interior NorCal. Bu Friday, highs are expected to cool about
10-20 degrees from Wednesday.

&&

.EXTENDED DISCUSSION (Saturday THROUGH Tuesday)...
Multiple short wave troughs progged through interior Northern
California over the weekend with NBM showing a threat of showers
over northern portions of the CWA. High temperatures expected to
be near to slightly below normal. High pressure builds inland
early next week resulting in dry and warmer weather with some
gusty north to east wind.

&&

.AVIATION...
VFR over intr NorCal next 24 hrs. In Cntl Vly, areas LLWS with
Nly sfc wind gusts to 25 kts til 03z Wed and agn btwn 12z-19z Wed.
In fthls/mtns, lcl N-E sfc wind gusts to 30 kts poss thru 19z
Wed.

&&

.STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Red Flag Warning until 11 AM PDT Wednesday for Carquinez Strait
and Delta-Central Sacramento Valley in Glenn, Colusa, Yuba,
Northern Sutter, and Butte County Below 1000 Ft-Eastern
Mendocino NF-Northern Sacramento Valley to Southern Tehama
County Line Below 1000 Ft-Northern Sierra Foothills from 1000 to
3000 Ft. Includes portions of Shasta-Trinity and Butte Units-
Southeast Edge Shasta-Trinity NF and Western Portions of Tehama-
Glenn Unit-Southern Sacramento Valley in Yolo-Sacramento Far
Western Placer, southern Sutter and Solano County Below 1000 Ft.

Heat Advisory from noon today to 11 PM PDT Wednesday for
Carquinez Strait and Delta-Central Sacramento Valley-Northeast
Foothills/Sacramento Valley-Northern Sacramento Valley-Northern
San Joaquin Valley-Southern Sacramento Valley.

&&

Event by event

5 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Southern Sacramento Valley

When: May 24, 12:00 PM PST to May 25, 9:41 PM PST
Where: Southern Sacramento Valley forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

The high temperature Tuesday the 24th at Sacramento Executive Airport reached |100 degrees which tied the previous record. A record high temperature of 102 was set at Sacramento Executive Airport on Wednesday the 25th. A new record high temperature of 103 was also set in downtown Sacramento on Wednesday the 25th. Two cooling centers were open through 8:00 pm in Sacramento County. ASOS reported high temperature readings ranged from 97 to 102 degrees during the event.

Heat, Central Sacramento Valley

When: May 24, 12:00 PM PST to May 25, 9:41 PM PST
Where: Central Sacramento Valley forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Reported high temperature readings ranged from 97 to 102 degrees during the event.

Heat, Carquinez Strait and Delta

When: May 24, 12:00 PM PST to May 25, 9:41 PM PST
Where: Carquinez Strait and Delta forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Portions of Zone 18 were in the heat advisory area and reported high temperature readings that ranged from 99 to 104 degrees during the event.

Heat, Northern Sacramento Valley

When: May 24, 12:00 PM PST to May 25, 9:41 PM PST
Where: Northern Sacramento Valley forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

A record high temperature of 103 was set at the Redding Airport on Wednesday the 25th. A new record warm low temperature of 73 was also set at the Redding Airport on Wednesday the 25th. A new record warm low temperature of 71 was also set at the Red Bluff Airport on Wednesday the 25th. ASOS reported high temperature readings ranged from 99 to 104 degrees during the event.

Heat, Northern San Joaquin Valley

When: May 24, 12:00 PM PST to May 25, 9:41 PM PST
Where: Northern San Joaquin Valley forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

A record high temperature of 103 was set at the Stockton Airport on Wednesday the 25th. A new record high temperature of 100 was also set at the Modesto Airport on Wednesday the 25th. ASOS reported high temperature readings ranged from 99 to 102 degrees during the event.

What these are

Heat: Heat below excessive heat criteria that still caused deaths, injuries or significant impacts.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in California in 2022 Every state in 2022 This day in weather history Warnings in California, May 2022

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: 1026971, 1032615, 1032618, 1032620, 1032621.