It’s autumn, which means a heat wave

Monday was the hottest day of the year so far, topping out at 81 degrees at Del Norte County Airport. In Gasquet the high was 106.

Crescent City is not used to hot temperatures like Gasquet, but temperatures in the low 80s are not unusual for September, said Doug Boushey, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Eureka.

This is due to a “dome of warm air coupled with offshore flow,” he explained. The warm air is blowing from inland out to the ocean.

When this happens, it “heats up real fast,” Boushey said.

The high in Crescent City was 14 degrees above the 30-year average of 67 degrees for the date and 11 degrees below the record high of 92 degrees for the date set in 1990.

As most locals know, September and October are often the nicest months of the year for the North Coast.

The rest of the week should continue to be warm and sunny, but cooler than Monday.

The high today is expected to be 76 degrees and will likely decrease the rest of the week into the upper 60s, said meteorologist Tony Ashford. The cooler air from the ocean will come in and try to cool the coast back down, he said.

“It’s trying to balance out,” Ashford said.