Weekend Heat Wave Broke Records In The Desert, And The Hottest Temps Are Still To Come

The first heat wave of Summer 2017 hit Southern California late last week, with scorching temperatures on Sunday that broke three separate records in northeast L.A. County. Tom Fisher, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told LAist that Sunday's highs broke heat records in the high desert communities of Palmdale (108°), Lancaster (108°), and Sandberg (99°). Five separate brush fires also burned across Southern California on Sunday, according to the L.A. Times.

In unfortunate news for overheated Southern Californians, relief is still a ways away. Fisher told LAist that this week will bring "a continuation of what we had over the weekend," with elevated temperatures expected through Thursday, before things cool off slightly. The heat is expected to peak on Tuesday, although according to Fisher, "that doesn't say much, because the numbers will only down by a few degrees during the rest of the week."

The hottest temperatures this week will be in the Antelope Valley; Fisher predicts that Palmdale may see highs of 110° (!) on Tuesday. Temperatures in the coastal valleys of Ventura and L.A. County will also be uncomfortably hot on Tuesday and Wednesday, with potential highs in the low triple digits, according to City News Service. Using Burbank as a gauge for its surrounding area, Fisher said that highs on Tuesday will peak around 95°, before dipping (ever so slightly) to 94° on Wednesday and 90° on Thursday. Temperatures in that portion of the valley will likely be in the upper 80s through the weekend.

Heat in Downtown Los Angeles is likely to peak at 88° on Tuesday, dip slightly to 87° on Wednesday, and then descend into the low-to-mid 80s by Thursday. And, as per usual, coastal areas will remain significantly cooler while the rest of us bake.