County temporarily closes several nature preserves, parks due to extreme heat forecast

A handful of public nature preserves and parks around San Diego County have been temporarily closed due to concerns over high temperatures and extreme weather forecasts for the region over the coming weeks.

The El Capitan, Hellhole Canyon and Mt. Gower county preserves will be closed for all of August due to projected hot weather potentially increasing the risk of heat exhaustion and stroke for visitors, county Parks Department officials said last week.

The Parks Department said it had already closed the Agua Caliente and Vallecito County parks the day after Memorial Day due to the severe weather, and that they would be reopening those campgrounds and recreational areas the day before Labor Day.

National Weather Service meteorologist Philips Gonsalves said the closures arrived about a week ahead of a weather system that will raise temperatures and humidity levels throughout Southern California.

“We expect temperatures near normal for this time of year over the next seven days or so, which is not surprising,” Gonsalves said. “But the three-to four-week outlook says we have equal chances of having above or below average temperatures.”

Gonsalves said in the coming weeks, coastal temperatures will be in the 70s, and further inland, toward the Interstate 805 corridor and La Mesa, temperatures are projected to reach the low-to-mid 80s. Further east, toward El Cajon and the foothill communities, residents can expect temperatures to climb into the high 80s and low 90s by the end of the month.

El Cajon, which reached the mid-90s by Thursday afternoon, was placed under a heat advisory that would begin 8 p.m. Friday, according to NWS officials.

Temperatures in desert communities in East County are expected to increase to between 105 to 110 degrees, with a humidity level in the low-to-mid teens, Gonsalves said.

“That’s the climatological normal,” Gonsalves said. “But what I can tell you is that as it gets hotter, the threat to human safety increases. People have to be cognizant of the signs of heat-related illnesses, take steps to stay as cool as possible and be aware of not locking children or pets in cars.”

County officials said they will be posting signs at the temporarily closed parks and preserves to encourage members of the public to visit other park destinations.

For more information about specific park closures or the locations of county cooling centers open to the public, visit the Parks Department’s website at sdparks.org/.