California, Southwest scorch under extreme heat

Furnace Creek, Inyo County --

Scorching heat blistered the Southwest on Saturday, where highs between 115 and 120 degrees are expected for parts of Arizona, Nevada and California through the weekend.

Phoenix hit 119 degrees by mid-afternoon, setting a new record for June 29. And large swaths of California sweltered under extreme heat warnings, which are expected to last into Tuesday night - and possibly even longer.

Dan Kail was vacationing in Las Vegas when he heard that the temperature at California's Death Valley could approach 130 degrees this weekend. He didn't hesitate to make a trip to the desert location that is typically the hottest place on the planet.

"Coming to Death Valley in the summertime has always been on the top of my bucket list," the 67-year-old Pittsburgh man said. "When I found out it might set a record I rented a car and drove straight over. If it goes above 130 I will have something to brag about."

Death Valley's record high of 134 degrees, set a century ago, stands as the highest temperature recorded on Earth. On Saturday it cooked at 125 degrees.

A couple hours south in Baker, the temperature peaked at 117 degrees in the road tripper's oasis in the Mojave Desert. The strip of gas stations and restaurants between Los Angeles and Las Vegas is known by travelers for the giant thermometer that often notes temperatures in the triple digits.

At the Mad Greek restaurant there, a waitress called out orders for "Chocolate shake! Strawberry shake!" while the temperature hovered at 112 degrees during the lunch rush.

To make matters worse in California, National Weather Service meteorologist John Dumas said cooling ocean breezes haven't been traveling far enough inland overnight to fan Southern California's overheated valleys and deserts.

Burbank set a record overnight low with temperatures dipping to 74 degrees, much warmer than the previous record of 68 degrees for Saturday's early hours.

In Northern California, temperatures hit the upper 90s Saturday in San Jose.

Health officials warned people to be extremely careful when venturing outdoors. The risks include not only dehydration and heatstroke but burns from the concrete and asphalt. Dogs can suffer burns and blisters on their paws by walking on hot pavement.

Cooling stations were set up to shelter the homeless and elderly people who can't afford to run their air conditioners.

Officials said personnel were added to the Border Patrol's search-and-rescue unit because of the danger to people trying to slip across the Mexican border. At least seven people have been found dead in the past week in Arizona.

Source: http://www.sfgate.com/nation/article/California-Southwest-scorch-under-extreme-heat-4638605.php

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