Parts of California and the Pacific Northwest will merge under near-record heat this week as a high-pressure dome forms across the region, taxing electricity supplies as residents crank air conditioners.
One extreme heat watch The National Weather Service said it stretches the length of California’s Central Valley where temperatures can reach as high as 109 degrees Fahrenheit (43 Celsius). A second pocket of extreme heat is forecast for western Washington.
For expected pressure on power supplies, California’s grid operators have asked power generators and transmission providers to put a hold on any planned maintenance projects from noon to 10 p.m. local time each day through Thursday.
Warmer temperatures will also exert pressure on one of these North Americamajor agricultural basins of the U.S., which are already suffering the worst drought in centuries. The Central Valley’s orchards, fields and vineyards are prime sources of everything from almonds and tomatoes to cotton and grapes.
By Wednesday, Sacramento could reach 105, which is just shy of a record to date, and Redding could touch 109, hitting a high for Aug. 17, said Bob, a senior branch forecaster at the U.S. Weather Prediction Center. Orvec said.
“It’s going to be well above average,” Orvec said. “The heat will eventually spread to the northwest and northern plains as well.”
Electricity demand is expected to reach about 43.8 gigawatts on Monday and climb to about 45.2 gigawatts over the next two days by mid-week, according to grid operator California Independent System Operator.
on-peak electricity prices Southern CaliforniaThe SP15 hub for Monday jumped 29% to an average of $149.70 per MW, the highest since September 8, 2021. The day saw the highest demand of the year of about 44 GW. An all-time high of over 50 gigawatts was set in 2006.
One gigawatt is enough to power 750,000 homes in the state.
Oravec said that while the heat is waning in California, the annual monsoon that causes flooding in Las Vegas and the Southwest is expected to continue throughout the week.
According to USA Today, a patch of tropical moisture extending out over the Gulf of Mexico into Texas could add more energy to the storm, which has killed at least two people and flooded the Las Vegas Strip.
This story has been published without modification in text from a wire agency feed. Only the title has been changed.
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