Heat wave to bake Southern California on Saturday

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With early afternoon temperature in the mid-90s, golfers at Chester Washington Golf Course in Hawthorne carry umbrellas and ice water to beat the heat. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

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Jose Castillo, 14, skateboards through the Santa Ana Civic Center on his way to school Friday morning. High temperatures and a red flag warning denoting heightened fire danger will be in effect in the Southland. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Beads of perspiration dot the face of a man who only goes by the name Andy as he sprinkles water on his lawn in his South Central Los Angeles neighborhood. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

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Beachgoers cool off in the surf at Hermosa Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Betty Jurdi, 73, shades herself with an umbrella while waiting for a bus in Woodland Hills. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

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Maria Perez, 72, shields herself from the afternoon sun while walking along Mott Street in Boyle Heights. The extended forecast calls for high temperatures and Santa Ana winds. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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The sun rises over Point Fermin as the Southland heads into what is expected to be a hot weekend. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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The sun bakes the parking lot at Alemany High School where attendants were helping guide people to park for Thursday night’s game against Chaminade. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

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A jogger struggles on a path around the Evergreen Cemetery despite high temperatures. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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Maria Torres, left, and her son Anthony Morales, 10, shield themselves from the sun while waiting for the light to change at Mott and 4th Streets in the Boyle Heights. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

By Matt Stevens

Oct. 3, 2014 12:30 PM PT

An oppressive four-day heat-wave sizzling throughout Southern California signals the transition from a hot summer to the beginning of a Santa Ana season that weather experts fear could trigger massive wildfires.

Saturday will be the peak of the high temperatures, with some places seeing temperatures as high as 106 degrees. The heat waves comes during what is usually the beginning of the Santa Ana season, when gusting winds can further dry out already dry vegetation and lash forward any fires that break out.

The winds are expected to be relatively weak this weekend, but if strong Santa Anas arrive before any unexpected rains, the risk of large fires would be great.

“This is a preview of an early Santa Ana season and this is bad,” said Bill Patzert, a climatologist for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge. “Triple-digit temperature, single-digit humidities and gusty breezes—that’s a formula for misery and fires.”

A high-pressure weather system combined with offshore winds and warm but weak Santa Ana winds have combined to generate the hot weather, said Stuart Seto of the National Weather Service. The winds sink as they travel through the mountains, then they are compressed and warmed up as they move toward the coast, he said. So in addition to heating up the area, they also block the coastal sea breeze that usually cools the seaside areas, Seto said.

Sweltering heat forced Long Beach Unified School District to shorten school days Thursday and Friday since most campuses are not equipped with air conditioning.

And Los Angeles Unified canceled all outdoor activities and sports practices for Thursday and Friday in the San Fernando Valley because of the heat.

The hot temperatures, low humidity and windy conditions prompted the U.S. Forest Service to implement 24-hour firefighter staffing as officials issued red flag warnings across the Southland. Those warnings are expected to expire Friday evening at 7, Seto said.

On Sunday, temperatures will begin to drop, and by Wednesday, the region will return to more typical weather: mid-70s at the beaches, lower 80s inland.

Twitter: @MattStevensLAT |

Heat wave to bake Southern California on Saturday

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