Sacramento, CA – Summerlike heat surged across Northern California this month, pushing temperatures into the upper 80s and low 90s and rewriting several long-standing March records across the Sacramento Valley.
Several cities from Redding to Modesto saw daily records fall during the warm stretch. Afternoon highs climbed well above seasonal averages, giving parts of inland Northern California temperatures more typical of early June than late March.
According to the National Weather Service in Sacramento, multiple daily heat records were broken between mid-March and late week across the region. Redding reached 92 degrees early in the event and later climbed to 93 degrees, tying its monthly March record. Red Bluff also hit 90 degrees, marking one of the earliest appearances of 90-degree heat on record there.
Sacramento Executive Airport recorded several new daily highs in the mid-to-upper 80s during the stretch, including 86, 88 and 87 degrees, tying or breaking previous records that had stood for decades. Stockton peaked near 90 degrees, while Modesto surged into the lower 90s, also setting daily records.
The unusually warm air mass built under strong high pressure over California, compressing and heating air across the Sacramento Valley. Clear skies and light winds allowed temperatures to climb rapidly during the afternoon hours.
Officials encourage residents to stay hydrated, limit strenuous outdoor activity during peak heat, and check cooling systems earlier than usual this season. While the record heat has peaked, warm afternoons will continue across inland Northern California.
More temperature swings are possible as spring systems return to the West Coast in the coming weeks.
