It’s official: The first heat wave of the season has arrived in Sacramento.
The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Monday, June 10 and Tuesday, June 11. High temperatures are expected to be near 103 degrees Monday, with a low of 69 degrees. Tuesday’s daytime temperatures are expected to be similar with a slightly cooler evening.
With Sacramento experiencing triple-digit heat, some have asked if the City will be opening 24-hour cooling centers.
The City opens cooling centers when certain temperature thresholds are met over a specified period of time, said Daniel Bowers, Director of Emergency Management for the City of Sacramento.
For the City to open 24-hour cooling centers, there has to be a “heat index of over 105 degrees Fahrenheit with credible weather forecasts of excessively hot weather for more than three days (high daytime temps) accompanied by night temps of 75 degrees Fahrenheit or more,” according to the Severe Weather Guidance plan for Sacramento.
Temperatures this week are not expected to hit those thresholds. Wednesday is expected to see a high of 98 degrees and a low of 62 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
Sacramento’s Severe Weather Guidance plan was developed in 2012 in partnership with Sacramento County Department of Public Health, the NWS, local homeless advocacy groups and other cities within the county.
“It’s important for folks to realize that these were not just numbers that were randomly chosen,” Bowers said. “There was a method that we followed for establishing them.”
Still, if people need a place to chill this week, they are welcome to enjoy the air conditioning in Sacramento’s community centers and libraries during normal business hours, Bowers said.
“It’s a cool-air space where you can go … free of charge,” Bowers said.
Find all community centers within the City of Sacramento.