Temperatures climbing into triple digits in many Southern California areas
LOS ANGELES — Temperatures will spike Friday and Saturday, reaching triple-digit territory in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys this weekend.
The higher heat will be the product of an upper-level high pressure system building off the coast, a weakening of onshore flow and an increasingly shallow marine layer, said National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Bruno.
There is nothing abnormal about the conditions developing, Bruno said. Higher heat always elevates the danger of wildfire, he said, although conditions today and over the weekend will not feature high winds or excessive dryness.
The high in downtown L.A. Friday is forecast to be 87 degrees, around 10 degrees higher than Thursday, according to an NWS seven-day forecast. It will rise to 90 Saturday, then begin a slow retreat on Sunday, when it’s expected to be 89. By this coming Thursday, the high in downtown L.A. will be 84.
The warming trend will be more pronounced in the San Fernando Valley. Woodland Hills should reach a high of 98 Friday — a 6-degree rise over Thursday — and 103 Saturday before reverting to 98 on Sunday. The Antelope Valley will be in the low 100s from Friday through Sunday, which is not at all unusual for that desert region.
Temperatures today will be 3 to 6 degrees higher than normal in the San Fernando Valley, and 8-10 degrees above average on Saturday. Similar conditions are forecast in the Santa Clarita Valley, with a high of 97 expected Friday in Santa Clarita, rising to 101 Saturday. But in spite of the spikes, no heat records are expected, Bruno said
Forecasted highs in Los Angeles County on Friday include 77 in Torrance; 78 in Long Beach; 85 in San Pedro; 87 in Whittier; 88 in San Gabriel; 89 in North Hollywood; 91 in Van Nuys and West Covina; 92 in Pasadena; 94 in Northridge; 98 in Palmdale; 100 in Lancaster; Most areas will be 3 to 7 degrees warmer on Saturday.
Higher temperatures are also expected in inland Orange County, although the increase will be small. Sunny skies are expected in Orange County Friday, along with highs of 74 in San Clemente; 77 in Newport Beach and Laguna Beach; 84 in Irvine; 85 in Santa Ana; 86 in Anaheim; 87 in Fullerton and Mission Viejo; and 90 in Yorba Linda, one of the county’s warmest communities, rising to 96 Saturday and falling back to 94 on Sunday.
Friday’s highs in Riverside County will be 90 in Temecula; 95 in Murrieta and Riverside; 98 in Menifee; 99 in Lake Elsinore and Perris; 101 in Hemet; 105 in Desert Hot Springs; 109 in Blythe, Palm Desert and Palm Springs; 111 in Coachella and Indio. Most areas will be about 3 to 5 degrees warmer on Saturday.
The high temperatures forecasts Friday in San Bernardino County include 78 in Big Bear; 79 in Running Springs; 82 in Wrightwood; 92 in Yucaipa; 95 in Hesperia, Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga; 96 in Fontana; 98 in Redlands and San Bernardino; 99 in Victorville Most areas will be 3 to 5 degrees warmer on Saturday.
Staff writer Steven Rosenberg contributed to this report.