Heat wave brings record-breaking temps. Here’s when it will cool down

Santa Rosa set a record for Aug. 14 when the temperature hit 101, eclipsing the 100-degree reading in 1967 on the same day, according to the National Weather Service. Relief is predicted with cooler air by Friday.

A heat advisory will remain in effect through Thursday night as temperatures continue to hover near the 100s in most of the North Bay, meteorologist Ryan Walbrun said.

“There will not be much change in temperatures on Thursday, and we may even see a few degrees hotter in Santa Rosa,” he said. “Expect the heat to keep us in record-breaking territory.”

The North Bay is enduring its second-hottest string of days this year, after another heat wave hit the area in June, breaking more records before the summer season had officially kicked off.

Elsewhere in Northern California, temperatures were expected to soar even higher, to reach 106 degrees in Sacramento Thursday. Napa tied its record on Wednesday after temperatures reached 100 for the first time on that date since 1951.

Walbrun said residents will experience a significant cool-down starting late Thursday night and into Friday.

“If people can just hang in there with one more day of it being hot, then you will get to experience cooler weather with seasonal temperatures,” Walbrun said.

Friday’s daytime highs in the North Bay are set to drop slightly, into the low 90s, and the weekend could bring some relief, with temperatures predicted in the low 80s.

Petaluma opened its community center at 320 N. McDowell Blvd. as a cooling station. It will be open for residents in need of an air-conditioned space until the heat advisory ends on Thursday night.

Santa Rosa city officials said they were monitoring the weather and had yet to issue any plans to open cooling centers.

While the heat wave has firefighters on alert, the lack of wind and decent humidity levels are both keeping the fire danger more manageable, authorities said.

Friday’s daytime highs are set to drop slightly, into the low 90s, and the weekend could bring some relief, with temperatures predicted in the low 80s.