North Bay sizzles: Santa Rosa hits 101

Area residents flocked to the ocean Thursday as temperatures reached 101 degrees in Santa Rosa and soared higher in inland areas.

The beaches should be popular again Friday, as temperatures drop slightly but will still push into the 90s in most of the region, according to the National Weather Service.

“When you’re about to hit 100, you can’t lose to come out here,” said Jack Ruffin of Santa Rosa, who said he waited 10 minutes for a parking space at popular North Salmon Creek Beach.

He and his wife, Suzanne, brough their daughter and two grandchildren to enjoy an end-of-summer cool down.

Real relief from inland heat across the Bay Area is expected Saturday as on-shore flows bring more clouds and fog to the coast.

The National Weather Service forecast a temperature drop of more than 10 degrees in Santa Rosa from Thursday to Friday, while AccuWeather Inc., which provides forecasts to The Press Democrat, said it would be Saturday before the mercury dropped below 90 degrees.

In either case, temperatures over the long holiday weekend and into the first half of next week should linger in the low to mid-80s under mostly sunny skies.

“It will probably take a couple of days for it to cool up, but once they do it will end up being much cooler than it is now, especially along the coast,” AccuWeather forecaster Josh Newhard said.

Hotter areas like Ukiah could still see temperatures above the century mark Friday, he said, but even there some cooling should be evident by Saturday, with temperatures closer to 90.

On the coast, patchy fog and low clouds should be especially prominent Saturday, with temperatures in the mid-60s, National Weather Service meteorologist Diana Henderson said. Sunday’s temperatures could be in the upper 50s along the coast, she said.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District also has called for a Spare the Air Day on Friday, projecting high levels of air pollution due to high temperatures.