Southern California temperatures reach triple digits; more heat coming Sunday
A heat wave began cooking most of Southern California with triple-digit temperatures in most areas Saturday, July 11, but spared the region of much fire activity by mid-afternoon.
The heat wave was anticipated to last through Sunday and into early Monday, meteorologists said, as a high ridge of high pressure over Arizona and New Mexico continued to impact the region.
A heat advisory was in affect for parts of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties until 8 p.m. Sunday evening, meteorologists said.
Temperatures were anticipated to be notched up a degree or two in most areas Sunday, with most areas in the Inland Empire reaching 100 to 105 degrees, Meteorologist Dan Gregoria said.
Inland Orange County, particularly Fullerton and Yorba Linda, were also expected to reach near 100 degrees Sunday, Gregoria said.
Valley areas in Los Angeles County were also expected to heat up again, with the western areas of the San Fernando Valley hitting or surpassing 105 degrees, Meteorologist Tom Fischer said.
But despite the high heat, only Lancaster had the possibility of tying a record over the weekend, Fischer said.
“Tomorrow, essentially, looks a lot like today,” Fischer said. “Some of the Inland spots may be a couple degrees warmer, while the coastal areas look to be maybe a couple degrees cooler.”
Cooling centers were scheduled to be opened, most from noon to 6 p.m., in Los Angeles County for residents Sunday and will adhere to physical distancing guidelines, officials said.
By 3 p.m. Saturday temperatures had reached 106 degrees in Northridge, 104 in Van Nuys, 98 in Pasadena and 91 in Long Beach, Fischer said.
The Weather Service said record high temperatures for the date were tied Saturday in Riverside (105, last reached in 1983) and San Jacinto (106, last reached in 2012).
Also in the Inland Empire, the Chino Airport hit 109 degrees; while in Orange County Fullerton and Yorba Linda saw 101 degrees, Gregoria said.
The NWS said a record high was set in Anaheim for the date on Saturday with a reading of 99 degrees, beating the 98 degrees reached in 1990.
In Riverside County, scores of people flocked to Lake Elsinore to enjoy some time in or near the water, with some on boats and inner tubes.
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The heat led to a pair of brush fires in Hollywood Hills and Acton on Saturday. Firefighters extinguished a grass fire along the 101 Freeway at Cahuenga Boulevard just after 1 p.m., authorities said.
About an hour later, a brush fire had ignited in Acton, swelling to two acres before firefighters stopped its forward progress, Los Angeles County Fire Department officials said.
In San Bernardino, firefighters got a quick handle on a two-acre vegetation fire in Muscoy that started about 4 p.m., authorities said.
While most areas remain relatively dry, an increase in humidity was expected in Orange County and Gregoria said it may feel sticky outside for some.
“If possible, stay in cool, air-conditioned rooms and if you need to be outdoors doing activities, do it early in the morning or in the evening,” Gregoria said. “The number one thing is to make sure you stay hydrated. If you’re outside, just keep that water handy.”
Temperatures were anticipated to drop about 10 degrees in Orange County on Monday, while the Inland Empire was anticipated to come down to the mid- to upper-90s, Gregoria said.