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The first truly hot weather of the year is set to descend on the valleys of northeastern Humboldt this weekend, with high temps of 99 to 110 degrees in the forecast through the middle of next week.

Almost invariably, such toasty conditions lead Humboldt’s heat-starved coast dwellers to grab an armload of beach towels, throw a few bevies into a cooler and hit the road for a river day. But MAKE NO MISTAKE: Doing this can be fatal.

We won’t post links to specific posts, but the Outpost archives are riddled with tragic stories of people who drowned after jumping into local rivers. During this time of year in particular, the frigid temps and deceptively swift currents can hijack even the youngest, heathiest of body’s ability to breathe and swim.

The good folks in the Eureka office of the National Weather Service have been issuing warnings to that effect over the past 24 hours:

“Please,” the NWS said in a tweet this morning, “keep this in mind when visiting the rivers and consider other ways to cool off … . Wear a life jacket or don’t swim.”

Even if you’re not hopping into a river, you should take precautions in such weather. 

“Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors,” the NWS says. And when you’re outside? “Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing. Try to limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Take action when you see symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.”

Just how hot are we talkin’? Have a look: