SANTA CRUZ — With Santa Cruz County and the Bay Area bracing for the first major heat wave of the year, local officials are urging the public to be cool when it comes to both body temperature and some of the high fire risk activities typically associated with America’s Independence Day.
The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning Monday that includes the Santa Cruz Mountains and surrounding inland areas as the slow-moving airmass approaches. The advisory, in effect from 11 a.m. Tuesday to 8 p.m. Saturday, includes a recommendation to drink plenty of fluids, limit strenuous activities to the early morning or evening hours and to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun.
“Excessive heat poses a significant health risk, particularly to the elderly, young children, pregnant women and those with chronic diseases,” Santa Cruz County Health Officer Lisa Hernandez said in a Monday release. “Avoid prolonged exposure to the heat, especially direct sunlight. Hydrate well, check in on others and never leave children or pets in vehicles.”
Other safety precautions offered by the county include wearing sunscreen and light clothing, staying in an air-conditioned area if possible and avoiding drinks with caffeine and alcohol.
According to National Weather Service meteorologist Dalton Behringer, the Santa Cruz Mountains could experience temperatures as high as 105 during peak hours, but the overnight hours, which could remain in the high 60s or low 70s in high-elevation areas, are most concerning because they prevent the body from fully recovering when the sun goes down.
The issue won’t be as acute in low-lying regions, but is still a concern.
“In areas with a lot of concrete and buildings, we’re not going to cool off as much as we normally do overnight either,” said Behringer. “It just gets a lot worse when you start adding on two, three, four days of this.”
Most of the county’s coastline is also included in a heat advisory from the weather service that has been issued for the same hours Tuesday to Saturday, explained Behringer, but the warning is not as stark because of the coast’s ability to turn down the thermostat. Still, it’s not enough to dispel the potential for heat-related illness.
Temperatures are expected to reach an early peak Tuesday before dropping, only slightly, for a few days before hitting a second peak sometime Saturday and then trailing off into early next week, said Behringer.
County public health spokesperson Corinne Hyland told the Sentinel Monday that there were no plans to establish cooling centers in town, but people without a cooling system of their own should seek out public spaces with air conditioning such as a library or coffee shop. Another option includes heading for the nearest beach to get some cooler marine air, said Hyland.
According to the California Department of Public Health, heat kills more people directly than any other weather-related hazard and the frequency, severity and duration of extreme heat is exacerbated by climate change.
Signs of heat stroke include hot, red, dry or damp skin, a fast pulse, headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion or loss of consciousness. If these symptoms are observed, community members should call 911 right away, move the person to a cooler place, help lower the person’s body temperature with cool cloths or a bath, but do not give the person anything to drink, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Strongly encourage people to check in on others, especially vulnerable populations,” county spokesperson Jason Hoppin told the Sentinel, including elderly people and those with mobility issues. “Those populations are especially at risk in heat.”
Fire(won’t)works
But the excessive heat can pose a physical risk in more ways than one.
Officials are urging the public to keep the fireworks at home, as environmental conditions could also turn any small spark run astray into a potential disaster.
“Given the fact that we have this potentially historic heat wave moving in, it is an extremely bad idea to set off fireworks,” said Hoppin.
County code currently prohibits the use of fireworks in unincorporated areas and across all beaches from Watsonville to the North Coast. Fines as high as $1,000 will be in effect during the Fourth of July holiday with the county Sheriff’s Office increasing its enforcement and patrol presence, especially in coastal areas, as thousands flock to the coast.
As of Monday, the weather service was close, but had not issued a red flag warning — indicating critical fire weather conditions — for the Santa Cruz Mountains primarily because the wind forecast was not especially extreme, said Behringer.
However, he added, “in terms of the heat and the low humidity, they are kind of meeting that threshold where we start to worry about it.”
Forecast
Tuesday: Highs in the 90s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Lows in the mid 60s to lower 80s.
Wednesday: Highs in the lower 90s. South winds 5 to 10 mph and turning into southwest winds in the afternoon.
Thursday (Independence Day): Highs near 90.
*For the Santa Cruz Mountains area. Coastal regions will be slightly cooler.