The Jackson County Fair begins Tuesday, July 15, and runs through Sunday, July 20. Rogue Valley Times file photo

“Dangerously hot” weather will grip the region this weekend and into Tuesday, with sizzling temperatures expected for the start of the Jackson County Fair, forecasters warned Sunday.

The National Weather Service office in Medford issued an updated extreme heat warning early Sunday morning for the Rogue Valley and areas of Siskiyou County, California, that now runs through 8 p.m. Tuesday, according to a post.

Included in the warning are the cities of Grants Pass, Merlin, Ashland and Medford in the Rogue Valley and locations in Northern California that include Happy Camp, Wilderville, Yreka, Klamath River, Etna, Fort Jones and Hilt.

“Dangerously hot conditions with high temperatures of 100 to 105 expected, except up to 110 in the valleys of western Siskiyou
County,” the NWS-Medford post said. Low temperatures will be mainly in the mid to upper 60s.

“Heat-related illnesses increase significantly during heat and high humidity events,” forecasters warned.

The weather service advised residents to stay hydrated, seek air-conditioning, stay out of the sun and check on relatives and neighbors.

For the fair, which runs Tuesday, July 15, through Sunday, July 20, at The Expo in Central Point, daytime temperatures are forecast above 100 degrees to kick off the event, with temperatures only dropping into the high 90s by Saturday, July 19, according a Sunday afternoon pinpoint forecast on the NWS-Medford website.

Temperatures forecast for Central Point are: Tuesday, 101; Wednesday, 103; Thursday, 100; Friday, 100; Saturday, 99.

Fairgrounds manager Rob Holmbeck told the Rogue Valley Times on Friday that The Expo would adhere to OSHA guidelines, as it does every year, in dealing with upcoming heat for fairgrounds employees, contractors and vendors.

To help fairgoers escape the heat, water bottle refill stations and a misting area — an awning affixed with water misters — will be located near the first aid station, sponsored by Jackson County Fire District 3.

A new feature this year, a “kids’ zone,” will be set up near the fairgrounds office with water toys to help keep little ones cool, Holmbeck said.

Reach Rogue Valley Times Editor Troy Heie at troy.heie@rv-tims.com