SAN FRANCISCO – Themajor heat wave expectedin California's Central Valley this weekend will bring triple-digit temperatures and increased fire risk, a harbinger for what figures to be another scorching summer. And this year the typically cool coastal areas may not be spared, raising the possibility of even more widely spread wildfires for a state long beleaguered by them. The summer wildfire outlook by the National Interagency Fire Center foresees anelevated chance of blazesigniting across much of California from June through August, when vegetation has dried after several weeks broiling under the sun with negligible rainfall. Average temperatures in parts of the Golden State are predicted to climb above historical norms for the summer, which is not surprising as the planet continues to warm. But a more unusual phenomenon may be developing. UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said in arecent online presentationthat weather models are pointing out a notable difference between the upcoming months and recent summers, when the state's hot spots have been mostly centered on inland areas. "Once we get past May gray and June gloom season,'' he said, "the rest of the summer and the fall could be quite a bit warmer along the California coast than the last few years have been, while inland areas once again are fairly likely to experience a near-record warm summer in many cases.'' That's a worrisome prospect after a fire season that included the fourth-largest blaze in state history – thePark Fire outside Chicoburned nearly 430,000 acres – and thedevastating Los Angeles infernosin January, well past the season's typical end point. Over the weekend, temperatures in Central Valley cities such as Sacramento, Fresno and Bakersfield are expected to climb above 100 degrees. The National Weather Service office in Sacramento has alreadyissued an extreme heat watchfrom early May 30 through late June 1, warning of the dangers of heat-related injuries. AccuWeather senior meteorologist Scott Homan said the chances of wildfires will also be heightened, especially in Southern California after it received below-average precipitation in the winter and early spring. Most of theregion is in a drought, and significant parts are in extreme drought. "With the occasional offshore breezy conditions, it will further dry out any fuels, and then we'll see an uptick in potential grass fires later this week in the valley areas,'' he said. The National Interagency Fire Center noted the snowpack has been melting faster than usual amid warm weather in the West and will dissipate by late June even in mountain areas that had large accumulations, removing a barrier to wildfire spread over the summer. "In general, we'll continue to see drier weather,'' Homan said. "Fire risk will increase, especially in areas that are currently in a moderate drought or at least in a dry pattern from the Central Valley on southward.'' This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:California wildfire risks may even increase near the coast
