Sonoma County is sweating through a late-summer heat wave just as smoke from the Pickett Fire over the hill in Napa nudges air quality around the edges of the county. On Thursday, Santa Rosa hit 100°F, and forecasters kept a Heat Advisory up for inland and higher-elevation areas through Saturday night as the hot, stagnant pattern lingered. Expect middle-80s to low-100s in the usual warm spots, with only modest overnight cooling.
What that means on the ground: plan your day around the heat. Shift yard work and workouts to morning or evening, drink water like it’s your job, and check on neighbors who don’t have AC. The National Weather Service notes a slow step-down in temperatures by late weekend as ocean air rebuilds—helpful, but not instant relief.
Meanwhile, the Pickett Fire ignited Thursday afternoon north of Calistoga and grew quickly in steep country. By Friday evening, CAL FIRE pegged the footprint at roughly 3,200–3,300 acres with single-digit containment as crews worked the flanks with dozers and aircraft. It’s the largest North Bay fire so far this season, and while the main action is east of the county line, smoke has drifted our way at times with the afternoon breeze…