Heat, Humidity Arrive For First Day Of California State Fair

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — If you stepped outside Friday, you know it was unusual.

"It is hot!" said a young fairgoer.

"Very hot," added another woman downtown.

It was also a different kind of hot.

"Cloudy humid and no wind," said one man in regards to the morning's weather.

"I do not love it, I do not love it," said one woman enjoying a night out in the park.

The heat doesn't stop the summer fun from Concerts in Park downtown to the California State Fair at Cal Expo.

What do you love about the fair?

"That you can win awesome prizes," said 9-year-old Olivia.

The National Weather Service experts say we're winning too, with the humidity keeping us about 5 degrees cooler.

"It happens periodically in July when the monsoon begins," said Craig Shoemaker with NWS. "The humidity is slightly higher, but the clouds are also holding temperatures down a few degrees, so they kind of balance each other out."

Bottom line, it's about keeping cool and that includes the start to the fair's thoroughbred racing.

"We have misters on the horses and fans all day," said horse owner and trainer Allen Aldrich.

It's all about buckets of water and lots of shade for these horses who go the extra mile.

"They're our main concern and they are well taken care of. We take every precaution we can before they come over and race," he said.

But in order to win big, you must do it safely.

"An understanding that a lot of fried foods and alcohol consumption and rides that spin, that can definitely take a toll on folks," said Kevin Anderson, a paramedic with American Medical Response at the state fair.

So whether you're twirling out to the fair or hitting the great outdoors you need to stay hydrated.

"Drink some water and pace yourselves," he said.

All to ensure you enjoy the even hotter weekend ahead.

"What's the most important thing? To have fun. So I'm not going to let the weather put a damper on that," said a local fairgoer.