Visitors hit the coast, Russian River to dodge record heat amid smoke, COVID concerns

Crowds looking to escape record heat across the Bay Area to kick off Labor Day weekend held themselves in check Saturday afternoon at popular spots along the Russian River and Sonoma Coast, a likely nod to the ongoing pandemic and haze hanging in the sky from the still-burning Walbridge fire.

The usual summer weekend traffic and visitors from Guerneville to Bodega Bay — and the beaches, coastlines and road overlooks between the two areas — were still hopping with activity. The mildly smoky air didn’t keep locals and travelers including from San Francisco and the East Bay from heading north to Sonoma County.

Santa Rosa broke its record of 101 degrees set in 2008 on Saturday, with a new high of 104, according to AccuWeather. The coast was noticeably cooler, hitting 80 degrees in Bodega Bay.

Oakland resident Karen Schneider, 59, made the two-hour drive to Bodega Bay with her friend, Laura Greenberg, 52, to get away from wildfire smoke that’s hovered over the East Bay the past few days. They waited about 10 minutes in the socially distanced line at Fisherman’s Cove restaurant for a seafood feast of barbecue oysters, shrimp and chips and clam chowder, noting the skies were clearer in Bodega.

“It’s worse in Oakland. It’s like living in an ashtray,” Schneider said.

“As long as we’re outside, we felt comfortable coming,” added Greenberg of potential coronavirus concerns. “We came to the coast for fresh air and fresh seafood.”

Local health officials voiced concerns this week about the coast and river areas being overrun during the holiday weekend, potentially resulting in COVID-19 spikes similar to those that followed the Memorial Day and Fourth of July weekends. While the Bodega Head parking lot was almost full, the steady stream of vehicles in and out wasn’t out of the ordinary for the time of year.

“I was very grateful that I didn’t receive a lot of complaints or concerns,” west county Supervisor Lynda Hopkins said of crowding. “I’m not encouraging folks to come up this weekend, because of the Walbridge fire and pandemic, but as soon we have the fire buttoned up and after the holiday weekend, we’ll be talking about how to actually get people to the Russian River, especially during the week, when small businesses need extra support.”

At Johnson’s Beach in Guerneville, children splashed in the river aboard colorful animal floaties within view of their relaxing parents, and families rented canoes and two-person kayaks to take refuge from the sun. The privately owned beach switched to reservations for about 90 distanced locations with umbrellas to prevent limited real estate from becoming overwhelmed by the 2,000 people who sometimes show up during hot weather, said Daralyn Schmitt, who checked reservations at the gate.

Further up Highway 116 at Monte Rio Beach, Farah Anwar and Scott Fong hung out beneath a blue Hawaiian print parasol and watched their 8-year-old daughter, Anya play in the river with a couple of other children. As in past years, they booked a vacation rental property in the area for a weekend in the summer, and ended up pleasantly surprised by the lack of people and lack of smoke compared to their home in San Francisco.

“We brought our air purifier and hoped for the best,” Anwar said. “We just figured we’d try it and see what happened, and if it was too smoky go back. It’s way better than we expected. It’s perfect.”

Temperatures in Sonoma County are forecast to remain in the high 90s and low triple digits, with the potential to again surpass 100 degrees in Santa Rosa on Sunday and on Labor Day, said Brayden Murdock, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Monterey. The temperatures on the coast will remain slightly lower, he said.

Due to the heat wave, state power grid regulators are urging residents and businesses across California to conserve energy each day through Monday night to prevent surpassing the state’s power supply, requiring planned rolling blackouts. Consumers are being asked to do their part, by limiting use of power from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., and instead shifting energy needs — including use of air conditioners — to the morning and nighttime hours.

Separately, PG&E warned late Saturday that it may need to turn off electricity Monday night in anticipation of potentially strong winds that could down power lines and start wildfires in 17 counties, including Sonoma, Lake and Napa. The utility said customers who might be affected would be notified.

You can reach Staff Writer Kevin Fixler at 707-521-5336 or kevin.fixler@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @kfixler.