GILROY
– Residents are turning the air conditioning up and donning
shorts and tank tops again today as the scorching sun sent
temperatures into the triple digits for a second day.
Concluding a week where temperatures reached 99 degrees on
Wednesday and 105 degrees on Thursday, Friday’s predicted high of
103 will cap a relentless week of sweltering weather.
Gilroy resident Melissa Palm said she hasn’t done much besides
sit by the pool and try to stay cool this week.
”
It’s been so hot, there isn’t much else you can do,
”
Palm said.
”
Even my poor little dog Duchess jumped in the pool to get some
kind of relief from the heat.
”
GILROY – Residents are turning the air conditioning up and donning shorts and tank tops again today as the scorching sun sent temperatures into the triple digits for a second day.
Concluding a week where temperatures reached 99 degrees on Wednesday and 105 degrees on Thursday, Friday’s predicted high of 103 will cap a relentless week of sweltering weather.
Gilroy resident Melissa Palm said she hasn’t done much besides sit by the pool and try to stay cool this week.
“It’s been so hot, there isn’t much else you can do,” Palm said. “Even my poor little dog Duchess jumped in the pool to get some kind of relief from the heat.”
The arrival of the weekend will bring cooling temperatures as a big pressure ridge gives way along the coast.
The air will make for much more comfortable living this weekend as temperatures are estimated to drop into the mid-90s on Saturday and down to the mid-80s on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
The smog prediction for today is 104 points, an unhealthy level. When the levels exceed 101, the air becomes hazardous for people with heath problems, small children and the elderly.
Wednesday and Thursday were Spare the Air days throughout the Bay Area. Wednesday saw pollution levels at 104 and Thursday had levels at 119. Both of these are unhealthy and prompted the Spare the Air advisories.
The numbers measure the level of pollutants in the air. The ranges work in increments of 50, and each level poses a greater risk to a greater number of people. Anything below 50 is considered healthy; the unhealthy level starts at 101, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management Department (BAAQMD).
When a Spare the Air Day is declared, BAAQMD asks that people not to drive unless necessary. Carpooling is encouraged, and they ask residents to hold off on driving their cars until the night when pollutant levels go down. People are also advised to not use gas-powered items such as lawn mowers and barbecues during the day.
Aaron Richardson of BAAQMD said if people try to run all their errands at once, they will be doing the ozone layer a huge favor.
“When you start up your car cold, it gives off five times the amount of pollution a car that is already warmed up would,” he said. “Doing all your errands at once would cut back on a lot of smog.”
Staying hydrated is considered essential to maintaining health during a heat wave.
In the rows of flowers at Goldsmith Seeds, landscape manager Michael Elliott and his team of four work in the fields all day. When working in the beating sun, Elliott, his team keep themselves and the flowers hydrated.
“We try to take breaks to get out of the heat and the flowers have to be watered at least three to four times more when it’s this hot,” he said.
Because today is declared a Spare the Air Day, the BAAQMD cautions people not to take part in vigorous outdoor activities until after the sun has set.
Ernie Bellezza, owner of Garlic Country Golf, said he’s now seeing majority of his golfers during the evening.
“During the day it is just too hot,” he said. “I encourage people to come out during the evening because it’s more comfortable and enjoyable to play.”
Although the heat is tampering with the ways some businesses operate, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory had a line out the door for days of sweaty, exhausted shoppers wanting frozen bananas, cheesecakes and ice cream.
“We actually had so many customers we ran out of ice cream for a little bit,” Manager Vickie Carte said. “The shoppers are drained out there from the heat so the first thing on their minds is a nice cold scoop of ice cream.”
