Enjoy the May gray weekend in SoCal because an extended heat wave is coming
Chilly temperatures and even some drizzle are in store for Southern Californians this weekend, but summer lovers can rejoice because a rapid warmup is right around the corner.
A strong onshore flow and persistent marine layer will bring more May gray conditions to the Southland this weekend, with temperatures ranging about 10 to 15 degrees below normal, said Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
Some overnight and early-morning drizzle is possible Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures are expected to linger in the 60s across most of Los Angeles County on Saturday and heat up slightly into the low 70s on Sunday, according to the weather service.
"There will probably be more sunshine on Sunday," Wofford said. "And next week it'll be warming up quite a bit, especially when we get into Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Those are going to be the hottest days where we're looking at temperatures in the valleys probably getting close to 100 degrees again."
The mercury could rise enough to topple records in some areas.
By Wednesday, temperatures along the coast will reach the mid- to high 70s. Inland will be warmer with downtown Los Angeles expected to see temperatures up to 87 degrees. Woodland Hills is expected to reach 96 degrees by Thursday, according to the weather service.
"Temperatures are definitely going to be way above normal," Wofford said.
Read more: Two dozen people rescued for heat issues during SoCal scorcher
The National Weather Service's Sacramento office issued a fire weather watch for the Sacramento Valley and adjacent lower hills beginning 8 a.m. Sunday to 8 p.m. Monday warning of gusty winds up to 35 mph and low humidity. While experts say the fire risk will not be extreme, grasses have already started to cure in some areas, increasing the risk of a destructive wind-driven blaze.
Unlike last weekend's brief warmup, this heat wave is forecast to be a bit more persistent. It could also foreshadow a notably hot and potentially fiery summer for much of the West, including California, said Daniel Swain, a UCLA climate scientist.
Models show a very high likelihood that July through September temperatures may end up making this summer among the hottest in the last 20 years, Swain wrote in a Thursday post on his website.
"The month of May will likely, in the end, indeed end up being much warmer than average and probably also drier than average across most or all of California," Swain wrote.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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