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Zach Christensen, accompanied by his wife, Olivia, and colleague Rachel Conshue (left), take their pets out to enjoy the cool waters of Folsom Lake July 1 during an extreme heat wave.
hshields@sacbee.com
Sacramento is a lot cooler right now than it was this time last year, when the capital broke heat records in early September.
We’re not complaining, but we were curious: How do they compare?
September temperatures this year average 75.2 degrees, according to the National Weather Service website. Last year it averaged 78.4 degrees.
Downtown Sacramento has only reached a high of 96 degrees so far this month, compared to last year’s 116 degrees on Sept. 6.
“We have seen a significant cooling when we compare the last two years,” said Dakari Anderson, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
The big difference between this year and last year: in 2022, a severe heat wave swept through the region in September, pushing average temperatures higher.
People are more susceptible to experiencing heat exhaustion or heat stroke during a heat wave – and municipal infrastructure is also compromised, according to the weather service’s website, due to the increased use of electricity the electrical grid. Also longer periods of intense heat increase the risk of wildfires.
Last year, the Mosquito fire burned through nearly 70,000 acres in El Dorado and Placer counties, starting in the first half of September.
Triple-digit comparison
In 2022, downtown Sacramento reached triple-digit numbers a total of 44 times over the course of the year, according to the weather service. Nine of those 100-plus-degree days were in September.
The first 100-degree day was in late May.
This year, Sacramento has reached temperatures of 100 degrees or more a total of 23 times, according to the weather service. And, so far, for September, the station has not reached a three-digit day.
The first 100-degree day was in late June.
“The month of September is not over yet,” Anderson said. “There is still room for the monthly average for this year to fluctuate up and down depending on what happens over the next 17 days.”
What does the forecast say this week?
Temperatures in Sacramento are expected to stay below the triple-digit threshold.
Highs will be in the upper 80s and low 90s through the week, according to the weather service’s five-day forecast. The hottest day in the forecast is Wednesday.
This story was originally published September 13, 2023, 2:54 p.m.
Jacqueline Pinedo is a reporter on The Bee’s service journalism team. She previously interned at the Los Angeles Times and completed her master’s degree at the University of Southern California.
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