Southern Californians tired of the May gray are in for a sweltering surprise this weekend.
After days of cloudy skies and drizzle, a rapid rise in temperatures that could topple heat records in parts of Los Angeles County is set to hit the area by Friday.
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures along the coast will be in the 70s and 80s Friday and in the 90s in the valleys. Saturday will be even hotter, possibly reaching 100 degrees in the San Fernando Valley and portions of the San Gabriel Valley, said Rose Schoenfeld, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
“We’re going to have a pretty dramatic shift here,” Schoenfeld said, adding that temperatures over the weekend will be about 10 to 20 degrees above normal depending on the location.
Woodland Hills could reach 99 degrees and Burbank is expected to hit 96 degrees on Saturday. Along the coast, Torrance, Santa Monica and Los Angeles International Airport are expected be in the mid-70s.
“It’s going to feel pretty warm [along the coast] compared to what people are used to,” Schoenfeld said.
In Orange County, Anaheim is expected to hit 94 degrees while Irvine will linger around 87 degrees. As usual, the Inland Empire is expected to be even hotter with Riverside and San Bernardino reaching 98 degrees.
Even if they don’t ultimately issue a heat advisory for the region, forecasters caution the public to limit outdoor activity during the heat spell, particularly in the afternoon hours when temperatures peak, and to stay hydrated.
But don’t stash those springtime sweaters away quite yet because cooler weather is right around the corner.
Temperatures will begin to cool slightly Sunday, just in time for Mother’s Day, and then drop significantly on Monday back into the low to mid-70s across the region.
“Monday will actually plummet to below normal pretty much everywhere by around two to six degrees,” Schoenfeld said.
