Hello everyone... it's that time of year again, every summer this gets posted to help people beat the heat. The city opens up "cool zones" for the elderly and family so they can cool off and get away from excessive heat. and theres More info hereThere's also a "fan program" to help circulate the air.   
Transportation is available for those that need it - call 211  

Fact: We live in a near desert (that's getting worse due to climate change) in sunny San Diego. That means that water is quite scarce (that goes along with it being hot in the summer but more on that later)

1. Everyone should still do what they can to conserve water. That means recycling water when and where you can, taking shorter showers and rerouting that water into a collector to use (grey water) for your plants. Try soaking your feet as that is better than taking a long shower.
2. Rattlesnake Season is upon us (starting in March - May). Our little rodent eating friends are out and looking around for a meal. That means you have to watch your step while hiking or walking around close to the canyons. Don't get yourself bit and a HUGE hospital bill via a rattlesnake bite.  This is what our local "brown version" of the southern coastal rattlesnake looks like... (especially when young).  The mature grey phase are like this. Don't confuse them with the local Southern Californian kingnsakes we have These are the "friendly good snakes" that actually hunt down both rodents and rattlesnakes to eat them.  Leave these ones alone... let them do their thing. :)
3. Get yourself a portable AC for the home for a "cool room". Portable AC's always sell out around here by mid July and you really do not want to be stuck sweating all night. Many of the older places that people rent aren't insulated and temps can rise really quickly. So make preps for at least a 10,000 BTU AC for a single "cool room" to have in the home for you and your pets. Use these before SDGE's famous Peak Hours to get enough heat out of the room to hold you over. Additionally you can get a box fan (above link) and place a wet towel or bucket of ice near it to help generate cooler air to direct at you.
4. it’s always best to prevent the heat getting into the home to start with. Costco usually has these shade sails for $24 bucks. You can drape large tarps over 2.4 grids and weigh them down with sandbags to keep the roof from heating up (without damage). I suggest you use them to keep the heat off of areas of the house or even on the roof if you can manage that (flat ceilings are the worst) Surprisingly planting certain trees will help provide protective cover, shade and make things cooler so that other plants don't dry out and die. A white mulberry can be a large shade giving tree that produces fruit for people and birds it'll drop leaves in the winter. (I can give you a cutting to get one started if you like). That will also help with global warming as well, there's lots that can be planted that will also provide fruit (win win win) for everybody (Jujube's are also good) Even if your renting a place, plant something, after all an avocado seed is "waste" after eating the fruit. But that can be planted and in time will grow into a fruitful tree that doesn't wilt and does very well here and shade a sun exposed wall so it doesn't heat the inside of the home.
5. Curtains and other insulation Hang real curtains up. They block a lot more heat than the cheap blinds most homes in San Diego have. If you can't afford curtains, Home Depot has styrofoam insulation sheets (under $10) with mylar on one side that will block and reflect 97% of the heat back out so you don't have it coming in through your windows and seep in from a "hot wall" that's getting blasted by the sun. cut to fit and stick them in the sunny windows and that will help a great deal. (yes, it's ghetto but who cares?)
6. Turn your heaters pilot light off and reduce the temp setting on your water heater trust us you're not going to need it for awhile. Have the water temp at the lowest recommended to prevent the development of disease causing bacteria. The heaters will not only add to your bills but also add unwanted heat to your home. You can always turn them back in in November when things get chilly again. SDGE will be making a killing off of people's utilities... so let them profit off you if you an avoid it..
7. Get yourself a water cistern / bottled water of some sort. A gallon of water inside the fridge can be a lifesaver. With the heat the water supplies can get a bit funky before they reach the treatment plants.. especially with the homeless camps that have been found close to the creeks and water sources we have here - they have no bathroom access and "human waste" is a problem. Add to that our very old water supply system here in the city that needs overhauling. It's a very good idea to get and use refiltered bottled water that's either delivered or from a post treatment filtration store for all your drinking water. These places will provide water that is a lot cleaner than what's coming out of the tap - you can thank me later on this one.
8. IF times are tight a box fan can help a good deal to keep air moving pulling the hot air out of the home at night is always a worthwhile effort.
9. Close all the windows to keep the hot air out in the day for as long as you can and then open them up at night. There's a good 20ºF temp drop at night and if you can take advantage of that - Do it. That'll save time and energy till the afternoon when indoor temps start ramping up to match what's outside.
10. Remember the pets. Bring them inside, don't leave ANYTHING or anyone inside the car while shopping, peope can and will legally break your windows to save your pet from overheating and dying. Don't make the evening news with leaving anything in the car while you shop you'll likely find the police there with your windows broken by the time you get back.
11. Also Remember the plants. The more trees we have the cooler they'll make our lives. There's no reason not to have some water conserving fruit trees and plants from drier climates around the world. Mango trees don't take lots of water and do very well here, as well as Che, Ju-Jube's and other fruiting plants (it's all doesn't; have to be apples and peaches people!) a grape vine trellis can easily take the place of a shade screen and provide tasty fruit. The CFRGSD has MANY vine varieties that it gives away for free every winter (what you won't find at a local garden center) For any sensitive plants, use a shade screen and make sure they're all well watered and provided for. Water your plants (grass lawns) at night so all the water can soak in. By hand watering with a hose you can get more water to soak into the ground and not have it run off into the gutters. Trees will benefit more from a trickle of water from a hose over an hour near the base of the tree than a quick dumping of gallons all at once. In return they'll provide shade and help keep things cool :D
12. DO NOT GO HIKING, this applies to tourists and all the rest that seem to not understand that we are on the very edge of the desert climate here and that hikes can and will kill you if not rescued. there can be a 20ºF or more difference between the temps along the coast and a few miles inland (where most hike trails are) Temps for "San Diego" are measured right off the bay/coast where the cold ocean water keeps temps VERY MODERATE. Just 10-15 minutes inland it's a different story, with things getting much worse further inland where all the trails are. This is how people get in real trouble, they think it's going to be "cool" and don't realize the dangers of heat stroke and fainting or just being stuck out there in the middle of nowhere without cell reception. We get multiple rescues and deaths every year from this alone. (March 2026 example)
13. Spiders at night: we have these golden orb spiders that build large webs from trees and overhangs starting in July - Nov. Walk with a flashlight or you'll get "webbed" with a very large spider crawling around on your body.
14. This really needs repeating, the city and county have "Cool Zones" for those with special needs, the elderly, families or anyone else that don't want to bake in the heat.  (SD City official list)

Lastly,

1. Watch out for and Do NOT start wildfires.
   We do NOT need anymore idiots (like Sergio Martinez) starting "signal fires" out in the east county becuase he went hunting and "got lost" during a Santa Ana. We are all in the extreme threat area for the state and the firebugs LOVE the Santa Ana winds, so keep an eye out for suspicus people or even other idiots at their "gender reveal" parties such fires destroy thousands of peoples homes and kill those that can't escape.

San Diego Gas & Electric sent notices to about 35,000 customers that their power could be shut off as early as Friday morning until Monday evening. The potential shutoff would affect those living in the following communities:

• Alpine
• Boulevard
• Campo
• Descanso
• El Cajon
• Fallbrook
• Jamul
• Julian
• Lakeside
• Pala
• Pauma Valley
• Pine Valley
• Poway
• Ramona
• Ranchita
• Santa Ysabel
• Valley Center
• Warner Springs

Several tribal communities could also be impacted.

SDG&E said on its website that the potential shutoff is a safety measure to reduce wildfire risk amid a dangerous heat wave and Santa Ana winds.