Unseasonably warm temperatures are expected to continue in most Southern California until at least Thursday, and could set high daily records, but predictors say the heat does not indicate an early start of spring to spring.
According to the latest outlook from the National Climate Prediction Centre, several cold, wet storms are expected to dramatically overturn forecasts by the weekend, bringing Southland back to the winter throat.
“We’re not a fan of the world,” said Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. “That would be a pretty dramatic change.”
However, that shift was not expected until Friday, and he said up until then the warm stretches are usually 15-20 degrees above this time of year, with even higher heights in some places.
Large, warm air across much of California has brought the hottest temperatures to date in many areas from the Bay Area to San Diego this year. Already, Southern California has set a number of daily high records. On Tuesday, Palmdale hit a record high on February 25, 1986, with Santa Barbara breaking records twice daily to reach 82 degrees. Palmdale, along with Lancaster, set daily records on Monday, reaching 80 and 81 respectively.
And the heat has not yet reached its peak, Wofford said, and the warmest temperatures expected in Southern California on Wednesday and Thursday, depending on the region. Warm, dry Santa Ana winds are expected to begin early Thursday and have more impact on already high temperatures, Wofford said.
“We have stronger offshore flows that help warm things up,” he said. More record temperatures will be possible in the valleys of Los Angeles County on Wednesday. There, highs will be lower in the 90s, but coastal areas will be able to set records at highs since the mid-’80s, boosted by warm winds on Thursday.
Winds are expected to primarily promote temperatures, but they can experience rather strong gusts of wind gusts, particularly inland and mountainous areas of the Santa Clarita Valley, Ventura County, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego County. Wind advisories were issued Thursday in most of the south and east regions of LA County, with gusts of winds potentially up to 55 mph.
The National Weather Service warned that such strong winds could make driving difficult for well-known vehicles, knocking down trees and causing power outages. Luckily, Wofford said he’s not worried about wind when it comes to wildfires.
“We had a fair amount of rain,” Wofford pointed out. This wasn’t when the dangerous Santa Anas burned two major fires destroying parts of Los Angeles in early January. “When you think about fuel moisture, you should step in a bit.”
By Friday, winds are expected to disappear once the low-pressure system moves into the region, with temperatures dropping 20 degrees in some areas, Wofford said. Angelenos, who has experienced highs on Thursdays in the 80s and 90s, should expect to fall on Fridays in the 60s, when rain could occur.
He said mild rain will be possible again on Friday night and Sunday before a stronger storm can bring about stronger precipitation by mid-week.
“We’re definitely still on the storm track,” Wofford said. “We’re not finished [with winter] still. “
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