North Bay weekend of triple-digit temps on its way

Expect a bit of déjà vu this weekend as you rush to turn on the air conditioning.

Forecasters are predicting triple-digit temperatures in Sonoma County and the rest of the North Bay, much like the conditions that dropped by for the weekend earlier this month. However, unlike last time, residents can’t expect much reprieve overnight, due to a waning marine layer.

Temperatures should begin rising Friday, when they’re expected to top out just shy of 100 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

By Saturday and Sunday, though, the highs are expected to peak well past the century mark.

“It’s definitely going to be a hot weekend. My guess is there’s going to be a lot of people heading to the coast,” Brooke Bingaman, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Bay Area office, said Monday.

Along the coast, the highs will be in the mid-70s. About a mile or two inland and the temperatures will be about 10 to 20 degrees warmer.

As the highs rise, so will the overnight lows.

Following the hotter-than average days, temperatures are only expected to drop to the upper 60s and lower 70s in inland areas. That’s at least 10 degrees higher than the normal 50s range, weather service meteorologist Dalton Behringer said.

Temperatures should rebound Monday, though they’ll still remain in the 90s.

Conditions will be above normal for July, when temperatures usually reach about 82 degrees, Bingaman added. Even so, she said, there won’t be any records set.

Santa Rosa’s record for July 15 of 107 degrees, for example, was set in 1972.

This weekend’s temperatures should be on par with conditions from earlier this month when the region hit 101 degrees on July 1 and 98 degrees on July 2.

Heat levels may be higher to the north and east, including in Cloverdale, Ukiah and Clearlake where temperatures could get up to 110 degrees, meteorologists said.

The majority of the Bay Area is under an excessive heat watch through Sunday.

“We’re keeping a watch on it and that’s what the public should be doing, too,” Bingaman said.

Forecasters advise Sonoma County residents to be mindful about leaving children or pets unattended in vehicles, limiting outdoor activities and staying hydrated.

Staff Writer Madison Smalstig contributed to this report.

You can reach Staff Writer Colin Atagi at colin.atagi@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @colin_atagi