Fresno closed out its winter season this year with a high of 93 degrees. In 2025, Fresno closed out its winter season with a high of 65 degrees.
This 28-degree increase has left some Fresnans upset and confused about why temperatures in the Central Valley are jumping so high.
Manyu Amarasinghe, an adjunct lecturer at California Health Sciences University and a Fresno State alum, described the rapid weather transition as “out of the ordinary” and said that “it poses a little bit of a risk in terms of adaptability.” 
Fresno is no stranger to triple-digit numbers, and Fresno County residents usually have time to prepare. However, a heat wave directly after mild temperatures leaves less time for communities to prepare.
Amarasinghe also said that heat vulnerability is an equity issue, and the vulnerable communities include children, athletes and public transit users. Student athletes may deal with the effects of excessive heat due to outdoor practice and games.
From walking to class to attending sports practice, students have likely already felt the recent increase in heat. According to the World Health Organization, vulnerability to heat is caused by an inability to regulate internally generated body heat because of excess external heat. An excess of heat can lead to physical effects such as dehydration, low blood pressure and/or heat strokes. Mental effects (though not greatly studied) include high stress and anxiety.
Some ways to reduce the effects of heat on campus include providing indoor spaces for students and faculty and improving green spaces. Green spaces aim to lower poor air quality, which worsens with excessive heat, all while providing shade. But campus green spaces, such as the area near the Joyal Administration Building at Fresno State, have limited tree shade and reflective pavement.
A correlation between median income and park access demonstrates an inequity. According to a study done by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the highest percentage of land in Fresno dedicated to parks, ranging from 14-23%, is located in North Fresno. The lowest percentages, ranging from 0-0.927%, are located in the outskirts of Fresno in Districts 1 and 3 and within urban-dense areas such as Downtown Fresno. In comparison, the median income for East and North Fresno ranges from $69,100 to $126,000.
Communities that use public transit are at risk of excessive heat due to bus wait times. FAX buses stop by every 15 minutes. Ridership has increased by about 33.45% between 2022 and 2024, demonstrating an increased population that may be susceptible to heat during wait times.
Fresno is shown to have cooler temperatures following the heated beginning of spring, through rain and high winds. Yet, the trend of conflicting weather patterns is becoming a growing concern for communities susceptible to heat vulnerability.
