Blistering heat sends Redding to hottest day ever. How long will it last?

David Benda, Redding Record Searchlight
Updated ·2 min read
6

No place was hotter in the Sacramento Valley over the weekend than Redding, where Saturday’s high of 119 degrees was an all-time record for the city, breaking the previous mark by one degree.

And don’t expect much relief this week, as California will continue to sit under a stubborn heat dome that refuses to budge. Blazing hot summer high-pressure systems are not uncommon for the Sacramento Valley.

“Probably the only difference is the duration and strength of this high-pressure system — it’s not moving anywhere,” AccuWeather meteorologist Grady Gilman said.

Was Redding the hottest place in the state?

The dangerous temperatures are forecast to stay around through the work week.
The dangerous temperatures are forecast to stay around through the work week.

It might have been a record high in Redding on Saturday, but the mercury was nowhere close to Death Valley, where it reached 128 degrees, Gilman said.

“For your area, your region, you were the hottest. However, go down to the Mojave Desert and there were a number of reports of temperatures over 120," Gilman said.

For the record, Death Valley’s hottest day on record is 130 degrees set in July 2021.

More: What's the best temperature to set your air conditioner thermostat in California?

Here’s how other select cities in California fared Saturday, according to the National Weather Service:

  • Needles: 119

  • Red Bluff: 118

  • Sacramento: 113

  • El Centro: 113

  • Fresno: 112

  • Bakersfield: 112

  • Stockton: 111

  • Modesto: 110

The hottest day on record in Red Bluff is 121 degrees, which was set in 1981, the National Weather Service said.

More: Two fires break out in Redding amid excessive heat

The forecast for the week ahead

Monday’s high in Redding is expected to reach 113 degrees before temperatures cool Tuesday to 109, said Kate Forrest, a meteorologist for the National Weather service.

There is an excessive heat warning in place through Friday.

“Today and tomorrow (Tuesday) we are really going to be in a period of slightly cooler weather coming off this prolonged heat wave,” Forrest said. “But we are going to ramp up and see some very high temperatures mid to late week.”

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Forecast high for Thursday and Friday is 112 degrees both days.

The weather will start to cool over the weekend with a high of 101 degrees predicted Sunday.

“Based on the trends, temperatures will be cooler, and that trend tends to continue next week,” Forrest said.

But this July is certainly off to a blazing start with the temperatures reaching 110 degrees or higher five times — six if you count the expected high for Monday.

Last year in July, temperatures in Redding hit 110 degrees or higher five days, the National Weather Service said.

"All-time records are getting shattered across the region with this weather pattern right now," Gilman of AccuWeather said.

David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on X, formerly Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Super heat wave breaking records across California