One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
100 degree heat to hit Southern California, sizzling summer to follow
LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 28: Ali Zenaidi, 2, cools off in the Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain inside Grand Park during a major heat wave in Southern California on June 28, 2013 in downtown Los Angeles, California.
(
File photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
)
Listen
1:06
100 degree heat to hit Southern California, sizzling summer to follow
A heat wave is expected to strike Southern California this week with temperatures topping 100 degrees in Los Angeles by Wednesday.
Strong winds are expected to accompany the heat, prompting red flag warnings for increased fire danger.
There will be little relief at the coasts as the weather system brings hot air from the east to the west, heating up beach communities like Santa Monica to over 90 degrees.
It’s expected to be hottest from Tuesday to Friday, with temperatures 15-20 degrees higher than average.
The spike is caused by a storm system that moved through the Northwest and dumped rain and snow over the Rockies last weekend. When that low pressure system meets a high pressure system over California – it creates the Santa Ana winds.
“This air with the Santa Anas is moving from the desert over the mountains and as it’s moving down the mountain slope its basically being forced downward and that’s a heating mechanism,” said Eric Boldt at the National Weather Service.
The Santa Ana winds are more common in the months of October and November, though they are not unheard of in May. However, many Southern Californians associate this time of year with cool, cloudy weather – hence the terms “May Gray” and “June Gloom.”
Sponsored message
The unseasonably hot weather likely won’t let up. The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center released a report in April predicting a hotter than average summer in Southern California.
Climate Prediction Center director Mike Halpert said the continuing dry weather could make the heat worse because areas that have little soil moisture tend to get hotter.
“When solar radiation comes in if there’s not a lot of moisture for it to evaporate all it can do is heat the air,” he said.
However there could be more winter rains coming to Southern California. The Climate Center has forecast a high likelihood of an El Niño event this year, which heats up surface temperatures in the ocean and typically brings more rain to California.
But Halpert cautioned it’s still too early to know how strong this weather system will be and how much of an impact it will have on precipitation in California.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
