What to do as the Central Valley braces for a scorching weekend

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The National Weather Service predicts that the Valley floor will reach 105 degrees this Saturday.

“I think really it’s a matter of prevention more than anything else,” said Chad Fitzgerald, public information officer for the Clovis Fire Department.

Some general tips to save you from the sun are to save yard work or other strenuous outdoor activities for the early morning or late evening. And if you can, you should wear light-colored clothing.

Fitzgerald says if you are out in the heat and you start experiencing a headache, become nauseous, or cannot cool down, you need to find shade quickly. “If you’re starting to really suffer from some heat stroke, as an example, take slow drinks of cool water, get yourself into a cool space, cool down gradually. You don’t want to shock your body by going into, you know, extreme amounts of ice, water, or anything like that,” he explained.

In the City of Clovis, when the weather service predicts temperatures above 105 degrees, the Sierra Vista Mall will double as a cooling center during normal business hours.

“We provide water, they provide space. We also coordinate that with the Clovis Transit. And Clovis Transit provides free rides year-round. So, regardless of who you are, they will take you to the cooling center at the mall,” Fitzgerald added.

The City of Fresno follows the same protocol. “We have three of them and they are the Ted C. Wills Center, Maxie L. Park Center, and Mosqueda Center,” said Sontaya Rosa, the city’s director of communications.

Those cooling centers will open this Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. “So whether you have air conditioning or you’re just trying to save on your PG&E bill, cooling centers are a great option to just come, relax, take a break from the heat, and hang out,” Rosa added.

For the kiddos, Fresno’s splash pads are open seven days a week.

In the North Valley, Merced County will be activating its cooling zones starting Friday. A few locations include the Atwater Library,  Snelling Library, Dos Palos Police Department, and Livingston Police Department. Water will be provided.

For a full list of Merced County’s Cooling Zones and times they are open, click here.