Sacramento, California – Triple-digit heat could arrive in parts of Northern California by mid-afternoon Thursday, as a powerful ridge of high pressure builds across the West and drives temperatures toward 100°F in the Sacramento Valley and northern interior valleys during the first full days of spring.
According to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center, the pattern developing between Wednesday and Sunday, March 18–22, strongly favors above-normal temperatures across nearly all of California, with some locations running 20 to 30 degrees warmer than mid-March averages. Sacramento, Redding, Chico and parts of the northern San Joaquin Valley could see highs in the mid-90s to near 100°F, levels more typical of midsummer than early spring.
The heat will arrive with very limited rainfall chances. The CPC outlook shows below-normal precipitation probabilities across much of California and the interior West, increasing drought stress and drying grasses and brush earlier than usual in the season.
Wind will add another concern. Afternoon gusts between 30 and 40 mph could develop along interior valleys and foothill regions, particularly near the northern Sierra Nevada and coastal ranges. When combined with humidity levels dropping below 20 percent, those winds could elevate early-season wildfire risk across Northern California.
Residents may notice unusually warm evenings as well. Overnight temperatures could remain 15 degrees above normal, limiting cooling in urban areas like Sacramento and Stockton.
While the West bakes, other parts of the country see a quieter setup. New England states including Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island, along with Michigan and Florida, are expected to remain closer to seasonal averages.
Forecasters say the heat surge may peak late in the week before potential atmospheric changes begin shifting the pattern heading into the following week. Additional updates are expected as the event approaches.
