Record temperatures give way to cooler weekend, but only slightly
While above-normal temperatures in Southern California will take a few steps down from their triple-digit pedestal this weekend, you might not even notice.
That’s because the sticky weather is going to stick around.
“The heat and the humid feeling that comes with it is not going to go away anytime soon,” Miguel Miller, a meteorologist in the weather service’s San Diego office, said Tuesday, Aug. 18.
The 25% to 30% humidity coming from the onshore flow is really not all that high, Miller said, in a comment that is probably small consolation to people forced to be outside.
“The fact that the temperature has gone up makes you feel the humidity even more,” he said.
Southern California experienced its highest temperatures of the week on Tuesday, Miller said. Some of them broke records.
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In the Inland Empire on Tuesday, Chino Airport recorded 113 degrees, it was 109 at San Bernardino International Airport, 107 at Ontario International Airport, 108 at March Air Reserve Base, 108 in Redlands, 105 in Temecula and 105 in Beaumont.
Orange County recorded 109 degrees in Yorba Linda, 106 in Santa Ana, 105 in Anaheim, 100 at John Wayne Airport and 86 in Huntington Beach.
In Los Angeles County, it was 111 in Northridge, 109 in Burbank, 109 in Pasadena and 99 in Long Beach.
High temperatures in the Inland Empire are expected to range from 95 to 102 degrees this weekend, with the most sizzling of those in areas where the sea breeze arrives last: Lake Elsinore, Hemet and San Jacinto.
Orange County high temperatures will tick down until reaching about 90 degrees Saturday and Sunday.
In Los Angeles County, high temperatures are expected to dip down to about 100 at the end of the week.
There is an excessive heat warning in the region through Thursday night. The extreme heat will increase the chance of illnesses, especially for those working outdoors. The weather service cautioned people to stay in air-conditioned buildings, drink plenty of water, check on relatives and neighbors, never leave children and pets in vehicles and wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing.
The humidity showed up with a bang Tuesday, with brief but heavy downpours in the San Bernardino Mountains and southwest Riverside County east of Hemet.
A flash-flood warning was issued for the area near Cherry Valley where the Apple fire burned more than 33,000 acres, leaving the seared ground in some spots unable to soak in the rainfall, but the heaviest rain missed that spot, Miller said.
“We think we dodged a bullet with that one. But we’re still concerned about the burn scar,” he said.
Manzanita Flats west of Angelus Oaks, and Running Springs both received an inch of rain in a little more than an hour, Miller said. Radar showed that the heaviest rain fell north of Mentone, where the weather service does not have a rain gauge. Valle Vista, east of Hemet, received 1.55 inches of rain.
No rain was reported over the Ranch2 fire near Azusa, said Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist in the weather service’s Los Angeles/Oxnard office. Rain did fall on the Lake fire north of Castaic Lake, but no debris flows were reported, Kittell said.
The thunderstorms were expected to taper off before possibly picking up again Saturday, Miller said.
Caltrans cautions against driving in areas affected by the rain because of the potential for unsafe roads.
Records set for high temperature on this date, Aug. 18, include:
Riverside: 108, tied at 108 in 1950
San Jacinto: 106, previously 104 set in 2003
Santa Ana: 106, previously 95 in 2010
Anaheim: 105, previously 101 in 1992
Newport Beach: 87, previously 84 in 1945
Source: National Weather Service