The Bay Area and the rest of California baked in a summerlike heat wave Thursday as a strong ridge of high pressure continued to build across the West.
Temperatures soared into the 80s and 90s across the Bay Area, including the usually-cool coast.
Bay Area Cities That Saw Record-High Temperatures
According to the National Weather Service, several Bay Area cities broke records Thursday. Here are the following cities that saw record-high temperatures:
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- San Jose- 94 degrees (Previous record: 93 degrees in 1989)
- Oakland -89 degrees (Previous record: 87 degrees in 1989)
- Gilroy- 97 degrees (Previous record: 94 degrees in 1989)
- Santa Rosa- 92 degrees (Previous record: 90 degrees in 1989)
Bay Area Cities That Tied Their Record-High Temperatures
While three Bay Area cities tied their previous record-high temperatures Thursday:
- SFO- 89 degrees (Previous record: 89 degrees in 1989)
- Half Moon Bay- 80 degrees (Previous record: 80 degrees in 1991)
- King City- 98 degrees (Previous record: 98 degrees in 1989)
The spell of high heat has prompted some cities to open cooling centers.
Record highs were likely in many areas, with gusty Santa Ana winds thrown into the mix in Southern California.
Temperatures topped 80 degrees before 9 a.m. at some locations, the National Weather Service said.
People who might seek relief in Northern California rivers were warned that waters were still running cold due to snowmelt.
The conditions elevated fire danger but red flag warnings were not issued because vegetation remains relatively green. Firefighters and helicopters quickly extinguished a brush fire Wednesday in Los Angeles County.
Cal Fire said it is bringing in many seasonal firefighters about a month early to prepare for what it believes will be a very active fire season.
In the hills above Morgan Hill, crews spent time training in conditions they'll likely experience in the hot summer months.
While firefighters acknowledge the hot weather aggravates the volatile fire conditions, a heat wave also helps them prepare.
"This is really great weather for us to be out here doing our hose lays and our training in," Santa Clara Cal Fire Capt. Jeff Harvey said. "Gets everybody acclimated and used to the work that we’re going to be doing out in the field."
The heat was predicted to persist through Friday before dramatic cooling during the weekend brings a chance of precipitation early next week, including mountain snow showers.
The spring heat wave follows an exceptionally dry winter that leaves California to face another year of drought and tightening water supplies.
The Santa Clara Valley Water District said the April heat is a concern and it's poised to take more drastic action.
"We’re going to our board next week to call for a mandatory limit of up to two days a week of outdoor irrigation," SCVWD Utility COO Aaron Baker said. "Those are some of the things we want to do. Normally we would push this program out into the summertime.”
The Sierra Nevada snowpack, a key part of the water supply, is just 30% of the April 1 average, the date when it historically is at its peak, according to the California Department of Water Resources.
The Sacramento weather office said the outlook for mid-April and beyond favors a continued warmer-than-normal temperature pattern.
