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Heat Related Issues Complicate Holiday Weekend
Smoky Sunset pix
Seriously smoky skies in the Central Valley are evident as the sun was setting over Riverbank High School during the varsity Bruins home football game on Friday. High heat warnings and air advisories up and down the state were to be effective through the long holiday weekend. Ric McGinnis/The News

Heat and air quality warnings in the Central Valley were expected to put a bit of a damper on outdoor activities over the holiday weekend. The 100-plus temperatures and smoke-laden skies possibly had residents looking for indoor means of celebration this Labor Day. The unofficial end of summer on Monday saw plenty of people cooling down in local rivers, lakes and at Woodward Reservoir, among other locations.

Meanwhile, prior to the long holiday weekend, schedules and locations for high school football games in the Sacramento area were affected by the weather, pushing game start times back for lower temperatures. Here in Riverbank on Friday, the high school had only a varsity football game scheduled, so it remained at a 7 p.m. start. Still, the smoke in the air was quite evident as the sun set over the campus, with fiery red skies in all directions accompanying the onset of evening.

Triple digits continued in the region on Saturday, and the Junior Bruin Youth Football organization heeded the warning, moving their daytime game schedule up an hour to try to help with the heat, each team taking the field at an earlier start time than originally planned. Still, as the varsity team was finishing up in the final game of the day, the temperature in Riverbank had pushed well past 100.

This week looks to bring a little relief, with temperatures primarily in the 90s, though air quality will likely continue to be an issue, due to a number of fires still burning around the region.