Southern California will ease into a string of extremely warm days when excessive heat warnings go into effect for a widespread part of the region.
Temperatures in the triple digits will create a high risk of heat-related illnesses and an increased threat of wildfires and power outages over the Labor Day weekend.
“Everyone is going to be in the thick of it, starting tomorrow and lasting through Monday,” said NBC4 forecaster Belen De Leon.
The peak of the heat comes this weekend, when temperatures top out Saturday and Sunday at 114 and 115 degrees in Woodland Hills — a rise of more than 25 degrees from Thursday. Temperatures will drop to 108 on Monday in the west San Fernando Valley community. Similar spikes are expected throughout SoCal.
In downtown LA, highs of 100 and 102 are expected this weekend before a drop to 96 degrees for Labor Day.
“These aren’t just run-of-the-mill summertime temperatures,” said NBC4 forecaster Belen De Leon. “This is record-breaking heat.”
An excessive heat warning will be in effect from 10 a.m. Friday until 8 p.m. Monday in the San Gabriel and Santa Monica mountains, and the San Fernando, Santa Clarita, San Gabriel and Antelope valleys. In Orange County, the warning will be in force in coastal areas from 10 Saturday morning until 8 p.m. Monday.
The high heat is being attributed to high pressure, which was centered near the California-Nevada border Wednesday evening and is forecast to settle into the Great Basin area through the weekend.
Sunny skies were forecast in valley areas of LA. County Thursday, but partly cloudy conditions were expected nearer the coast, along with highs of 75 degrees at LAX; 80 in Avalon; 82 in Long Beach; 83 in downtown LA; 90 in San
Gabriel; 91 in Burbank; 92 in Pasadena; 97 in Saugus and Woodland Hills; and 102 in Palmdale and Lancaster.
Temperatures will be up to eight degrees higher Friday, up to 11 degrees higher than that on Sunday, then begin a sharp decline, though by Wednesday several communities will still be in the 90s — 98 in the case of Woodland Hills.
The forecast includes sunny skies in Orange County Thursday and highs of 74 in Laguna Beach and San Clemente; 75 in Newport Beach; 84 on Santiago Peak; 85 in Fullerton, Irvine and at Fremont Canyon; 86 on Ortega Highway at 2,600 feet; 87 in Yorba Linda, Anaheim and Mission Viejo; and 89 at Trabuco Canyon.
Coastal communities will climb up to 109 Saturday, about the same as inland communities, which is unusual. By Wednesday, Mission Viejo will reach 90 degrees but all other locales will be in the 80s, except at the coast, which will have reverted to the high 70s.
In Riverside County, triple-digit temperatures are expected in most areas Thursday. Humidity will drop to 10-15 percent on Saturday and wind gusts out of the east are expected to reach 20-30 mph, setting the stage for near critical fire weather conditions in the inland valleys throughout Southern California until Tuesday.
An excessive heat warning throughout Riverside County that will take effect at 10 a.m. Friday and last through 8 p.m. Monday.
Highs in the Coachella Valley could reach 120 on Saturday and Sunday, while the mercury in the Riverside metropolitan area is expected to soar to 115 in some communities both of those days.
Heat Tips and Stay-Cool Strategies
- Stay hydrated! The more hydrated you are, the more effective your body will be at keeping you cool. Drink water – not fizzy and alcoholic drinks, which will dehydrate you.
- Avoid exercise in the middle of the day. If you need to exercise outside, do it early in the morning when the temperature is lower.
- Wear lightweight, light-colored natural fabrics like cotton and linen, as these will help your skin breathe and let your sweat evaporate, cooling you down.
- We sweat around half a pint daily from both feet (and we wonder why they stink!), so if you can, wear sandals or flip-flops to let your foot sweat evaporate.
- Use a fan to circulate air from open windows. Keep your blinds or curtains drawn during the day, so your home doesn’t heat up while you’re out. Turn off big appliances and help prevent brown-outs!
- To cool down quickly, run your wrists under a cold tap or keep a water spray in the fridge for a quick cooling spritz to the face.
- Keep some wet wipes in your bag so you can freshen up your hands, face and neck if you get hot or clammy.
- Want to stay cool at night? One way is to wash your feet in cool water or take a cold shower before bedtime – especially if you get hot during the night or have hot sweats.
- To cool down in bed, try keeping your pillowcase or sheets in a plastic bag in the fridge during the day. Put them back on the bed at night. The fabric will stay cool when you’re trying to get to sleep.
- And bring your pets in and make sure they have shade and water.
- Be prepared for power outages and know where cooling centers are!
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Source: NBC Los Angeles