The Chronicle’s weather team has been studying the models, and our newsroom meteorologists say that the oppressive heat will last through midweek. Our reporters are fanning out today to bring you the latest news from around the state and the Bay Area. Latest updates:
Wine Country grape harvest affected The hot weather is speeding up the grape harvest at many Bay Area vineyards, as high temperatures cause grapes to ripen sooner than they otherwise might have. Some winemakers are racing to get grapes off the vines so that they don’t shrivel into raisins, like Bruce Devlin at Ballentine Vineyards in St. Helena, who picked most of his fruit last week in anticipation of the heat spike. Others, like winemaker Laura Barrett at St. Helena’s Clif Family Vineyards, are waiting it out, hoping that the grapes can develop a little more flavor before they start to dehydrate. “If we can manage to hold off until next week, that’s the best case scenario for us,” said Barrett. However, she’s remaining vigilant, and said she’ll expedite the picking schedule if she observes more raisining in the berries or scorching on the vine leaves.
BART says there are delays everywhere “There may be up to 10-min delays today systemwide in all directions,” BART tweeted. “Trains will be traveling at reduced speeds in some areas due to warm weather conditions.” On the SFO-Antioch line, delays are up to 20 minutes because of the heat. Attention Passengers…. There may be up to 10-min delays today systemwide in all directions. Trains will be traveling at reduced speeds in some areas due to warm weather conditions. — BART Alert (@SFBARTalert) September 6, 2022
Newsom urges Californians to ‘double down’ on saving energy amid ‘real’ blackout risk
Gov. Gavin Newsom urged Californians to save energy during the state’s scheduled Flex Alert from 4 pm to 9 pm on Tuesday, to reduce strain on the power grid and prevent outages. “We’re heading into the worst part of this heat wave and the risk for outages is real and it’s immediate,” Newsom said in a video. He asked people to pre-cool their homes before 4 pm, close their windows and blinds to keep their homes cool, avoid using large appliances and turn up their thermostats up to 78 degrees or higher after 4 pm
Spare the Air Alert extended through Wednesday The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has extended its Spare the Air alert through Wednesday, with ozone hovering at levels that are moderate or unhealthy for sensitive groups in parts of the Bay Area. People are requested to limit driving where possible and be aware of the health effects of exposure.
Here’s how the Bay Area records break down Besides Fairfield’s all-time Bay Area high of 117 degrees on Monday, records were broken at airport sites including SFO, San Jose and Livermore. The downtown Oakland station also broke a daily record. Extremely hot temperatures were observed in the East Bay, where Livermore broke its all-time high record by hitting 116 degrees.
Livermore, Vacaville both could hit or exceed 117 degrees While Livermore was cooler than Vacaville in the early morning, it had caught up as of 11:30 am, when both cities were tied at 102 degrees. Both have a chance to peak at 117 or even 118. Fairfield is likely to run between 115-117 on Tuesday, according to Chronicle meteorologist Gerry Diaz.
State experiencing ‘worst’ September heat event on record, climate scientist says The historic heat event baking California is set to become the “worst” heat wave on record for the month of September, climate scientist Daniel Swain said Tuesday. “By some metrics, it might be one of the worst heat waves on record, period, in any month given its duration and its extreme magnitude, especially in Northern California and especially in the Sacramento region,” Swain said on Twitter. The NWS Sacramento office predicted Tuesday’s temperatures could break all-time record highs. Downtown Sacramento could see a high of 115 degrees, two degrees higher than Monday, weather officials said. In the Bay Area, Vacaville could hit 117 degrees Tuesday, according to Chronicle meteorologist Gerry Diaz. Read more here about how the heat wave ranks in California history.
Part of Northern California could be ‘even hotter’ on Tuesday “Believe it or not, today could be even hotter than yesterday in some parts of NorCal,” UCLA weather and climate expert Daniel Swain tweeted. “Sacramento & adjacent areas now more likely than not to break all-time temp records in the 115-117F range. Many areas also saw record warm overnight temps last night.”
Stressed power grid declares first stage of emergency for the afternoon The California grid operator pre-emptively declared an emergency for Tuesday afternoon and evening from 4 pm to 9 pm, when air conditioning loads are high and demand peaks. The order, announcing the first of three levels of emergency, will free up additional resources to help supply and shave off demand. Californians are requested to reduce power use during that late afternoon/early evening period as much as possible. Rolling blackouts are a possibility if savings are insufficient, as the grid is expecting record demand amid the heat. #ISO has issued an Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) 1 effective today, from 4 pm – 9 pm Consumers are strongly urged to use less #energy to avoid rotating #poweroutages. Learn more about California ISO’s emergency notifications: https://t.co/CIpV6jMk7u — California ISO (@California_ISO) September 6, 2022
Fairfield reached record 117 on Monday as temperature report revised upwards
Fairfield temperatures got as high as 117 on Monday, not 116, according to a revised report by the National Weather Service. 116 — the original number — was a new Bay Area record, and 117 becomes an even more dramatic Bay Area record. Vacaville could tie that number today.
All eyes on Vacaville The Bay Area city most likely to hit 117 degrees on Tuesday is Vacaville, according to Chronicle meteorologist Gerry Diaz. Livermore and Fairfield will also be hot, but both were six degrees cooler than Vacaville as of 10:20 am A delta breeze could knock a few degrees off Fairfield temperatures.
Bay Area all-time record could fall again today with 117 degree temperatures Tuesday will be as hot, if not slightly hotter, than Monday. Chronicle meteorologist Gerry Diaz says more all time records are expected to fall. Livermore, Concord, Fairfield and Vacaville will be some of the Bay Area’s hottest spots and may contend with 116-117 degree temps this afternoon.
BART trains will continue running slower due to the heat BART officials said Tuesday it will continue to run trains at slower speeds during the hottest hours of the day, according to spokesperson Chris Filippi. This slowdown may prompt delays on some trains.
Electricity-saving request in effect from 4 pm to 9 pm today: With California power demand projected to reach all-time record levels on Tuesday, officials are urgently asking Californians to slash electricity use during the peak hours of 4 pm to 9 pm People are requested to pre-cool their homes to minimize air conditioning use during those critical hours, and use major appliances such as the dryer and dishwasher in the morning. Energy-saving efforts will be critical to help the state avert rolling blackouts, when power demand exceeds supply. The power-saving request is known as a Flex Alert? click here for more information.
Fire near Hemet in Southern California kills 2 people Two people died and one person was injured in a wildfire that is rapidly spreading in Southern California, fire officials said Tuesday. The Fairview Fire in Riverside County sparked Monday about 4 pm, prompting evacuation orders and warnings in the area, Cal Fire said. As of Tuesday morning, the blaze had grown to 2,400 acres and was 5% contained. The fire is burning east of Hemet, about an hour and a half east of Los Angeles. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Baby rescued from hot car in Oakland Oakland firefighters rescued an approximately 6-month-old baby who was locked in a car Sunday afternoon as temperatures reached 92 degrees, the Fire Department tweeted. “The baby is doing fine,” Oakland officials said. Officials urged people to never leave young children and pets unattended in vehicles at any time, but especially during a heat wave. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 21 children have died this year after being left in hot vehicles.
Spare the Air alert extended Bay Area air quality officials extended a “Spare the Air” alert through Tuesday due to potential car pollution from Labor Day traffic and the blistering heat baking the region. Under the alert, people are encouraged to take transit, work remotely and limit driving, and to protect their health by avoiding outdoor activities…
