Heat — Northern San Joaquin Valley, California

2008-05-15 · Northern San Joaquin Valley, California

Event narrative

The temperature at Stockton Airport reached 100 degrees, breaking the previous daily high temperature record of 97 degrees set in 2006. The temperature at Modesto Airport reached 101 degrees, breaking the previous daily high temperature record of 98 degrees set in 2006.

A 17 year old pregnant farmworker collapsed from heat exhaustion at 1430PST on May 14th while pruning at a vineyard east of Stockton, in the town of Farmington. The high temperature at Stockton Airport that day was 93 degrees, and the heat index was lower than the temperature, well below heat advisory criteria. She later died in a hospital, on May 16th.

Wider weather episode

A strong high pressure ridge over the region produced hot temperatures across interior Northern California from May 14th to May 17th, with many new daily high temperature records set. Record daily high minimum temperatures were also set as clouds and northerly winds maintained the heat overnight. The hot temperatures lingered into the 19th, especially for the northern San Joaquin Valley (see Episode for May 18th and 19th).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 107395. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.