Quick Take:
This week is poised to be extremely hot in Santa Cruz County, with some areas getting multiple days in a row of triple-digit temperatures. Hot weather is likely to extend into the next two weeks as well.
Santa Cruzans are in for a sweltering 4th of July holiday as temperatures soar this week.
How hot it will be depends on where in the county you are. In the City of Santa Cruz and other lower elevation areas, the highs will be between the mid-80s and low-90s. In the mountains, the temperatures are expected to reach scorching highs in the low-100s.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a heat advisory that will take effect Tuesday at 11 a.m. and last through 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 6. That means residents should take precautions and watch for heat-related illness.
Locally, county public health issued a list of tips for dealing with excessive heat and signs of heat-related illness for people to watch out for as they hit the beaches and barbecues later this week.
NWS Meteorologist Nicole Sarment said that, while July is no stranger to hot weather, this week is especially hot for Santa Cruz summers. For example, Tuesday’s eye-popping high of 104°F in Boulder Creek is about 22°F above the historical average for that day. In the City of Santa Cruz, tomorrow’s high of 84°F is only about 6°F above the historical average for that day.
Sarment said that a high-pressure system — a clockwise flow of dry, sinking air — has parked itself over the Bay Area.
“Generally with that comes a compressed marine layer, or no marine layer at all,” she said, adding that this phenomenon contributes to the blazing temperatures further inland. “Those areas aren’t getting any of that marine influence, where the coast will be cooler because there’s still some form of a marine layer over it.”
Although the next several days are expected to be the peak of the heat, that won’t be the end of it. Sarment said that temperatures are likely to be above average for July through “at least July 15.”
“We don’t really see this system weakening until Monday, but we’re still a week out, so it could very well strengthen or it could break down,” she said.
Sarment emphasized that people should refrain from lighting fireworks this year due to the serious fire danger concerns that come with extended periods of severe heat.
The City of Santa Cruz has banned possessing, discharging, or selling fireworks. Further, it has enacted a citywide “safety enhancement zone” from Thursday, July 4 at 8 a.m. through 8 a.m. Sunday, July 7. Fines for violating the city’s municipal code — including the use of fireworks — will be tripled. Violators could face fines up to $1,000.