Triple-digit heat into next week in Yuba-Sutter

Yuba-Sutter residents might need to seek relief from the heat in the next few days as the mercury is expected to top triple digits.

The weekend forecast calls for high 90s today, 100 on Saturday and 102 degrees on Sunday, with 100-plus temperatures expected to continue into next week. Thursday might have been the last day for a while where it's reasonably pleasant, said Tom Dang, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

"By (today), the warmup begins," he said. "We'll have basically triple digits in Marysville through the middle of next week."

It will cool off a bit at night, but the best cooling element — the delta breeze — will be largely absent in this weather pattern, with evenings now dipping only to the mid-60s, Dang said.

"The last two or three years we have managed to luck out in a lot of ways. Summers have been fairly pleasant," he said. "We do get these brief heat waves occasionally, and this is going to be another one, but nothing record-breaking, by any means."

Many people were taking advantage of the mid-week July 4 holiday to enjoy an extended vacation away from the valley floor's heat.

Umbrellas and sun shades dotted the beach landscape Thursday at Collins Lake, where families had extended their day off into days or a week to enjoy cool relaxation and recreation in the foothills. As ski boats cut white wakes in the background, families frolicked in the swim area, floating on inflatable chairs, bobbing in life vests and squirting each other with water pistols.

Nine-year-old Adan Salazar of Marysville hotfooted it across the sizzling sand with his inflatable killer whale and pounced onto its back. When the orca tipped, he came up soaked and smiling.

"I like it 'cuz it's cool in the water," he said.

Sean Johnson, a senior airman at Beale Air Force Base, was enjoying his first visit to Collins Lake with his wife, Michelle, and children Scott, 2 and Julie, 5 months. They normally turn to

the base pool or Bridgeport near Penn Valley for summer splashing but the foothill lake may be their new hot spot.

"We are used to being in Florida with the beach, so this is the next best thing," Michelle Johnson said.

While the day trip was partially a means to escape the valley heat, it was more of a fun family outing, she said.

"In Florida, with the 80-degree humidity, I'm miserable," Michelle Johnson said. "This is nothing, to be honest."

Those who can't venture high into the hills for heat relief can find a cool spot close to home at valley water spots, including the Feather River, Gauche Aquatic Park or the Morehead Family Community Pool in Sutter, which reopens at noon on Saturday.

Abbie Cesena, recreation supervisor at Gauche Aquatic Park, said summer is always a busy time for the city waterworks, but temperatures in the high 90s and topping 100 often attract additional guests. Many people come and stay all day, relishing in the waterslides, climbing walls and "spray ground."

"Water is a great way to cool off," she said. "We have lots of shade and you can be outdoors without being terribly hot."

While some might flock to the cool comfort of the movie theater, the air-conditioned breezeways of the mall or icy blasts in the supermarket frozen food section, sometimes all that is needed is a sweet treat.

"Ice cream, ice cream, giant ice cream," said Mattai Hevansavath, 6, as he licked vigorously to keep up with the drips on his strawberry cone Thursday.

His family visits Collins Lake from Stockton about once a year, and the $2 single-scoop cones at the resort entrance are a must-do — often before swimming and any other activity.

"It's part of making the memories," said his dad, Simon Hevansavath.