Santa Anas Raise Inland Temperatures

Stifling Santa Ana winds blew into Ventura County like a hot breath Monday, pushing inland city temperatures to uncomfortable highs.

“There’s a ridge of pressure from Nevada forcing the air downward, and as a general rule air gets warmer as it moves downward,” said Kent Field, a meteorologist with the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District. “Add some Santa Ana winds and you’ve got hot, dry, desert-like conditions.”

At 104 degrees, Ojai was the hottest spot, followed by Fillmore at 103 and Simi Valley at 100, said Curtis Brack, meteorologist for WeatherData, which does forecasts for The Times.

Coastal breezes kept Ventura and Oxnard at a relatively cool 84 degrees.

The heat and wind also brought smog, which neared unhealthful levels in Thousand Oaks.

Temperatures and smog levels should ease slightly today, Field said, dropping 15 to 20 degrees to more seasonal levels by Wednesday.

“Right now it’s pretty bad,” Field said. “People are really feeling it.”

At Ojai City Hall, planning secretary Helen Seltzer said she was concerned about how her 100-pound pot-bellied pig, Harry, was handling the heat.

“He’s very sensitive,” she said. “The first thing I’ll do is fill up his hole with water, and he’ll go in there and slop around and be a happy boy.”