Southern California continues to sizzle under a heat advisory on Friday, as temperatures across the region remain a toasty 15 to 25 degrees above normal, with no meaningful relief in sight.
And although there will be a slight dip in temperatures on Saturday, officials warned that another round of even more extreme heat would arrive next week, bringing with it additional heat advisories and more record-breaking temperatures, according to the National Weather Service.
The extended sweltering temperatures could be “one of the top heat wave events for the month of March—ever,” the National Weather Service said in its forecast on Friday.
The March temperature record in downtown Los Angeles was set in 1879 at a scorching 99 degrees. Temperatures next week are expected to hit, and possibly exceed, that, said Bryan Lewis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
“We’re looking at an almost 150-year-old record potentially being dethroned here,” he said. “Basically everything we’re looking at is suggesting extremely hot temperatures.”
The high-pressure system kicked off Thursday, setting daily temperature records in Ventura County and tying a daily heat record of 92 degrees in Long Beach. Highs across the Los Angeles region are expected to top out in the mid-80s to mid-90s again on Friday.
A heat advisory remains in effect for a wide swath of Southern California until 8 p.m. Friday, and residents are urged to watch out for signs of heatstroke, drink plenty of fluids and avoid strenuous outdoor exercise. Those most likely to become ill during the heat include older adults, young children, outdoor workers, athletes and individuals with chronic medical conditions, the L.A. County Department of Public Health warned.
All areas in the Los Angeles region will experience a slight cooling on Saturday, with the coast and valleys seeing a possible 5- to 10-degree drop. But the heat will gradually tick back up on Sunday, generally hovering in the 80s to lower 90s and potentially leading to heat advisories for some coastal and valley areas, according to the weather service.
True relief remains a ways away as next week “an extraordinarily strong high pressure” system will build over the region, sending temperatures into the 90s and even the triple digits Tuesday through Thursday, the NWS said.
A map shows high temperatures expected Tuesday through Thursday.
(National Weather Service)
“Given the unprecedented length and magnitude of this extreme heat wave, heat stress will be a real threat each day, especially in areas that aren’t used to the heat,” the weather service warned. “Try to complete outdoor activities early in the day or in the evening, and don`t leave people or pets in cars.”
The unusual summer-like heat will extend over most of the state and the American Southwest, with some desert regions likely to experience their earliest 100-degree day of the year on record, according to the weather service.
Typically, temperatures in Southern California hover around the 70s in March, Lewis said.
In the Bay Area, the weather service predicts that San Jose and the Salinas Airport could break their daily records Monday and Tuesday, when coastal cities such as San Francisco may also come close to their record temperatures.
Several metropolitan regions — including Sacramento, San Jose, Phoenix and Las Vegas — are also poised to hit new all-time high temperature records for the month of March, according to the weather service
A general concern during the hot, dry conditions is the potential for small grass fires, according to the weather service. Fortunately, larger fuel sources like dense vegetation remain moist from heavy winter rains, and winds are predicted to be relatively light, conditions that together limit the danger of fast-spreading wildfires.
But without significant rain in the forecast for the rest of the month, the hot weather is likely to accelerate fuels drying out, Lewis said.
“It doesn’t look like there’s any rain on the horizon, so that could certainly be, for the long term, somewhat of a concern for fire season,” he said.
Staff writer Hannah Fry contributed to this report