Temperatures are expected to be as much as 15 degrees higher than normal in Manteca on Sunday and Monday.
That — coupled with dry conditions — has prompted the National Weather Service to warn of not just elevated fire danger but also warn of increased cold water runoff in waterways as well as the need to stay hydrated and protect your skin.
The Weather Service gives the Stockton-Manteca area an 11 percent change of hitting 90 degrees or above on Sunday. The current projection is for 87 degrees Sunday and 88 degrees on Monday. The chance of 90 degrees plus on Sunday is placed at 7 percent in Modesto, 40 percent in Sacramento and 58 percent in Redding.
The record high for April for Manteca was recorded on April 30, 1981 when it hit 99 degrees.
The spike in hot and dry weather comes as the state is trying to fast track expanding the ranks of wildfire firefighters and bolster prevention projects to the tune of $1 billion. At the same time a judge overseeing PG&E’s probation after the utility pleaded guilty to 84 counts of manslaughter in the Paradise fire their faulty equipment triggered in 2018 has bought into a more aggressive plan for PG&E to blackout customers to reduce the potential for wildfires.
While San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties aren’t in the primary counties expected to get the brunt of increased outrages, they are not immune from the potential of forced outages.
The fourth largest wildfire in California’s recorded history — the 396,624-acre SCU Lightning Complex fire — burned within 20 miles of Manteca last year.
Cold water is always an issue especially on warm days when people head to lakes, rivers and the Delta to cool off.
While warmer weather in the higher elevation will accelerate the melting of what snowpack there is that is not the water that poses the greatest threat. Thursday was the start of month-long spring fish pulse flows on many rivers including the Stanislaus River.
While the flows will be substantially lower than in previous years due to the drought, they will be higher than in recent weeks. The water released from New Melones is from near the bottom of the reservoir making it colder.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
