Southern California heat to stick around this week, but a cool-off is coming
The heat will get worse this week before it gets better.
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Triple-digit temperatures for the Inland Empire were expected to see a slight uptick this week, with a heat advisory issued from Wednesday to Friday, the National Weather Service said Monday. It won’t be quite as hot for other areas closer to the beaches, in Los Angeles and Orange counties, but the heat will continue everywhere until temperatures start to dip slightly this week.
Projected high temperatures for Tuesday include 88 degrees in the USC area of Los Angeles, 90 in the Santa Ana area and 102 in San Bernardino.
Wednesday and Thursday were expected to the hottest days for the Inland Empire and Orange County, said Dan Gregoria, a Weather Service meteorologist.
“We’re expecting temperatures to be in the lower 100s in the Inland Empire, pretty much to 100 to 105 degrees,” he said. “For Orange County, the 80s at the beaches, but then you get just inland and it’ll be well into the 90s.”
Hemet and San Bernardino’s high temperatures for Wednesday and Thursday were both expected to reach 104 degrees each day, with the low temperatures in the low 70s. In Orange County, Fullerton was expected to reach 94 degrees on Wednesday and Thursday, but coastal areas such as Newport Beach were expected to stay in the high 70s.
In Los Angeles County, valley areas such as Van Nuys will stay in the high 90s midweek, with coastal areas like Long Beach expected to be in the mid-80s.
Monday was the last expected day for thunderstorms in the mountains. However, the humidity will likely stick around, with ocean temperatures well above normal in the mid-to-high 70s, Gregoria said.
“Especially in Orange County, the humidity combined with the heat will make it feel hotter,” he said.
By the weekend, there will start to be a cooling trend.
“It’s not going to be abrupt,” Gregoria said, “but you’ll notice the change.”
After the weekend, the slight cooling trend will continue, “so there’s some relief in sight,” he added.
The decline in heat will likely continue through next month, said Kristen Stewart, a Weather Service meteorologist.
“We’re just kind of getting away from that super hot,” she said. “It’s almost September, that’s when Santa Ana (winds) will start to peak through to October.”
Until the heat goes away, the meteorologists recommended that people limit activity outside, stay hydrated and stay inside with air conditioning as much as possible.