Southern California’s already hot weather will reach even more sweltering heights through the weekend, as a prolonged heat wave will send temperatures soaring 5 to 10 degrees above normal and keep firefighters throughout the region on alert.
Those additional ticks on the thermometer come at a time of year when temperatures are already typically at their highest, leading forecasters to warn residents to take precautions to protect themselves from the dangerous heat conditions.
“People really need to take it seriously,” said Kathy Hoxsie, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. “Drink a lot of water. Find shade.”
In light of the heat wave — and the expectation that Californians will crank up the AC in response — the California Independent System Operator also has issued a statewide flex alert, asking residents to conserve electricity between 3 and 10 p.m. Friday to reduce strain on the power grid.
While high temperatures always raise fire concerns in Southern California, Hoxsie said winds are expected to be calm — welcome news for crews that have already been busy battling blazes this week. The Lake fire burning north of Santa Clarita has scorched more than 11,000 acres and is 12% contained, while the Ranch 2 fire near Azusa has charred more than 3,000 acres with no containment.
“High heat, low humidity means that fires surely will start more readily, but it’s the winds that really drive them,” she said. “So, as long as the winds stay low, which they will, the conditions are not extreme.”
However, virtually no stretch of the Southland will be spared from conditions that Hoxsie said will be “hot, hot and hot.”
“We’re expecting the heat to continue through the weekend and into next week, probably peaking on Monday, Tuesday,” she said. “We have an excessive heat warning out for the Antelope Valley through Tuesday and the interior valleys through Monday.”
The Los Angeles County coast, as well as downtown, is under a less-severe heat advisory until Sunday night, according to the National Weather Service.
Starting Friday, highs for the next few days are expected to largely range between 100 and 110 degrees in the Antelope, Santa Clarita, San Gabriel and San Fernando valleys, according to Hoxsie.
The Inland Empire and high desert also will see their mercury top out in the mid-to-high 100s. The Coachella Valley and interior deserts will be even hotter, with some areas forecast to approach or hit 120.
