With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
LA And OC Will Feel Significant Temperature Increases From Climate Change

With climate change happening in real time, researchers have created projections of how much warmer temperatures will get throughout the country over the next 30 years.
In California, some of the areas that will be hit the hardest by rising temperatures include Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside Counties.
Research group First Street Foundation, which developed the extreme heat map, compared the number of very hot days expected in 2023 to the number expected in 2053. Orange County and L.A. County are predicted to experience the worst and the third-worst increases in the state, respectively.
Orange County’s hottest days are expected to go up by 214.3% by 2053; L.A. County, by 200%.
In O.C., that means the number of days that temperatures reach or exceed 90 degrees will jump from seven to 22.
Riverside County, meanwhile, is expected to see the number of days that temperatures reach or exceed 100 degrees increase from 39 in 2023 to 55 in 2053.
Some cooling effects from the Pacific Ocean are expected to take the edge off; in other words, it could be worse. Still, Jeremy Porter, a chief research officer with First Street Foundation, said that you won’t have to go very far inland to feel the heat.
“It doesn't take much in the way of spatial distance from the coast before you start to see an increase,” he said.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.

-
What do stairs have to do with California’s housing crisis? More than you might think, says this Culver City councilmember.
-
Doctors say administrator directives allow immigration agents to interfere in medical decisions and compromise medical care.
-
The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7 and went on to kill 12 people and destroy more than 6,800 homes and buildings.
-
People moving to Los Angeles are regularly baffled by the region’s refrigerator-less apartments. They’ll soon be a thing of the past.
-
Experts say students shouldn't readily forgo federal aid. But a California-only program may be a good alternative in some cases.
-
Distrito Catorce’s Guillermo Piñon says the team no longer reflects his community. A new mural will honor local leaders instead.