Excessive Heat in Tulare County, California

Daytime highs ranged between 104 and 109 degrees on August 14-15 and August 18 and between 107 and 112 degrees on August 16-17.

A large upper high pressure center over the Desert Southwest region built northward and westward on August 14 and maintained it's grip over central California for nearly a week resulting in oppressive heat over the area for several days. An Excessive Heat Warning was posted for the San Joaquin Valley and Sierra Foothills for five days and for the Kern County Deserts for seven days as high temperatures neared record levels. In fact, several new records were set for both afternoon high temperatures and overnight high minimum temperatures in the San Joaquin Valley on August 16 and 17 with several locations reporting highs above 110 degrees F and lows above 80 degrees F. Several cities and towns in the San Joaquin Valley, Sierra Foothills and Kern County Deserts opened their cooling centers each afternoon during this heat wave. Local emergencies were declared in Fresno, Tulare and Kings Counties due to an unusually high rate of livestock fatalities which took place between August 14 and August 18. The large high finally loosened it's grip on the area on August 21 while a northwesterly flow brought slightly cooler air into the area.