Heat dome tests boards

The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the Bay Area) running March 16–20 and forecasted coastal highs in the 80s with upper‑80s to mid‑90s inland, according to regional briefings. (nbcbayarea.com) The advisory marked an unusually early threat: the San Francisco office noted this is the first March heat advisory on record for the region in the modern advisory era, with multiple cities flagged as candidates to tie or break all‑time March highs. (prismnews.com) Cal/OSHA publicly urged employers to act ahead of the event and reminded firms that its indoor heat rule requires protective measures once workplace temperatures reach 82°F, including water, rest, cool‑down areas and training. (dir.ca.gov) The California grid‑operator framework allows voluntary Flex Alerts to conserve power during heat‑driven demand spikes, while Pacific Gas & Electric’s public 7‑day PSPS outlook showed no planned public safety power shutoffs as of the most recent update. (flexalert.org) San Francisco institutions activated public responses: the San Francisco Public Library listed designated cooling centers and the city’s heat resources hub published an interactive cooling‑center map, and SFUSD announced extra measures for students and staff for March 17–20. (sfpl.org) Campus and employer safety offices issued operational guidance—Stanford Environmental Health & Safety warned managers that many employees are not yet acclimatized and advised preventive measures as highs hit the low‑to‑mid‑90s. (ehs.stanford.edu) Cal/OSHA’s standards also mandate written prevention plans and supervisor training for heat illness recognition, creating an explicit compliance checkpoint for organizations whose continuity plans will be scrutinized if workers fall ill or services degrade. (dir.ca.gov)