June gloom will give way to near-record heat later this week, forecasters say
A heat wave is expected in Southern California at the end of this week, but forecasters are not anticipating temperatures to break records.
Temperatures will be about 15 degrees higher than average in the Antelope Valley, with highs in the mid-100s forecast for Lancaster and Palmdale. In downtown Los Angeles, temperatures are expected peak in the mid to upper 80s while coastal areas will reach the mid to upper 70s.
In the San Fernando Valley, temperatures could reach up to 96 degrees on Thursday and 100 degrees on Friday.
The hottest temperatures are expected between Thursday and Sunday, according to Ryan Kittell, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. He attributed the heat to a ridge of abnormally high pressure forming over the West Coast and a weaker than usual sea breeze.
The spike in heat will mark a drastic departure from the cool temperatures Angelenos have enjoyed during the last two weeks of June gloom.
“At this point it doesn’t look like we’ll have any records broken,” he said, adding that some temperatures will hover near records.
As of Monday morning, the National Weather Service in Oxnard has not issued any heat or fire advisories, though they will continue monitoring the heat wave this week, Kittell said.
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