A building area of high pressure will send temperatures climbing Wednesday, turning a cool, unsettled start to the week into a hot stretch that peaks by Mother’s Day on Sunday. The shift will push readings 12 to 22 degrees above normal, with the warmth holding into early next week.
By Sunday, temperatures are expected to return to the 80s and 90s, and parts of the Central Valley could approach the upper 90s by Monday. Modesto may hit 100 degrees by then, a level that would make the hottest part of the forecast feel less like a brief warm-up and more like the real heat of interest for the weekend.
The dry side of the pattern brings another concern. Northerly winds could raise fire danger across parts of the state, even as coastal areas offer some relief under clear conditions. That same coast still carries its own hazards, though, and the public should keep watch for rip currents and sneaker waves.
The forecast marks a sharp turn from the start of the week and sets up a hot spell that reaches beyond the holiday weekend. For people in the Central Valley, the question is no longer whether temperatures will rise, but how long the heat will linger once Monday arrives.
