Possible record highs in SoCal this week as Santa Ana winds return

As much of the country continues to see low temperatures, it looks like we’ll be getting a little bit of summer in January here in Southern California.

A mid-week warming trend kicked off Tuesday, with temperatures reaching the low 90s in some valleys.

Todd Hall, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said we can expect warmer weather in L.A. and Ventura counties into this weekend.

“We’re going to see temperatures well above normal for this time of year," Hall said.

SoCal beaches will see temperatures from 73 to 79 degrees, with periods of low clouds in the morning. The inland coast and downtown L.A. will see highs of between 82 and 85 degrees.

The valley communities, including the Inland Empire, will see highs of up to 86 degrees, and up to 89 degrees in Coachella Valley. Meanwhile, the Antelope Valley could get up to 75 degrees.

The National Weather Service is also warning of windy conditions over the Santa Clarita Valley, where gusts could reach 35 mph in the afternoon.

Hall said we’re likely to see a return of Santa Ana winds with gusts up to 50 mph in portions of the San Fernando Valley including Porter Ranch, the Santa Monica Mountains and into eastern Ventura County.

Luckily, all that rain we had is keeping fire risk low as natural fuels haven’t had time to dry out.