Record Heat Sweeps Into Southland : Weather: Many make up for business dampened by rains. Valley residents flock to the outdoors.

No one was happier with Wednesday’s record heat and sunny weather than Cass Golnaraghi, who watched 400 customers flock to his carwash Wednesday compared to zero a week ago.

“We haven’t had any business in a month,” Golnaraghi said, as he watched mud-encrusted cars line up for a chance to shower off. “I’m so happy about the sun, please let it stay this way!”

The high temperatures broke records throughout Los Angeles, with a high of 90 degrees in Burbank, surpassing the previous high of 87 in 1976. It was 88 degrees at the Los Angeles Civic Center on Wednesday--two degrees above a 41-year-old record for Feb. 1--and forecasters said it should be just as hot today and Friday.

Throughout the San Fernando Valley, with temperatures hitting 88 in Woodland Hills, joggers took to the streets, children availed themselves of after-school ice cream cones and restaurateurs reopened patio seating.

Meteorologists with the National Weather Service don’t expect much relief until the weekend. Saturday’s highs are expected to be in the upper 70s to mid-80s, with slightly cooler temperatures and some clouds on Sunday and Monday.

Experts said the heat comes as a result of the so-called “meteorological door.”

In relatively dry years, the door--a massive high pressure system that lurks over the Southwest--remains shut, blocking the eastward movement of Pacific storms and diverting them north into Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, according to Curtis Brack, a meteorologist with WeatherData, Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times.

But last month, due to weather pattern changes that have yet to be fully explained, the door swung open, with the high pressure weakening and retreating to the east. The Pacific storms moved onshore unimpeded during January, bringing the torrential cloudbursts that caused devastating flooding in Northern and Southern California.

As February begins, the door has slammed shut again, blocking the cool, wet weather with a massive high-pressure system building over Nevada.

Brack said the heat is being generated by a mild Santa Ana condition. Winds circulating clockwise around the high pressure are warmed and dried by compression as they sweep down the slopes of the coastal mountains and into the Los Angeles area.

That heat produced an after-school crush of children clamoring for cones at the Baskin-Robbins at the Winnetka Square Mall in Woodland Hills, a rush of business which manager Ken Parrino faced alone.

Parrino makes the work schedules a week and a half in advance, he explained, and the hot temperatures sneaked up, leaving him no time to call in reinforcements. So he had customers take numbers.

“It was twice as busy today as it normally is,” Parrino said. “It’s just been a blur.”

From 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. alone, he estimated he served up 100 scoops--for cones, shakes and blended ice coffees--all before the late afternoon rush.

“Service with a smile and a sweat,” he said.

Employees at Stanley’s in Sherman Oaks credited the weather for an improved lunch rush. In addition to once again allowing patio service--suspended for most of January because of cold and rain--warmer temperatures mean increased foot traffic along Ventura Boulevard.

“When it’s nice, it’s gorgeous out there,” said Stanley’s manager Grant Lewis. “People definitely enjoyed the choice of being able to sit outside.”

Back at the Reseda-Vanowen Car Wash, Golnaraghi said he could hardly believe that it’s been just days since the rains.

“Everybody’s working now--they’re making money, I’m making money,” he said. “A very good day, a very good day.”

Forecaster Brack said the door is expected to open a crack, but won’t swing all the way open.

“There won’t be any rain in Southern California,” he said. “There’ll be some partial clouds and lower temperatures into the beginning of next week, but no rain.”

We’ve already had enough, according to a Department of Water and Power official. Gerald Gewe, director of water resources planning for the DWP, said Wednesday that enough snow has fallen in the eastern Sierra to guarantee Los Angeles adequate water supplies for the rest of the year.

Hot Times Wednesday’s high of 90 degrees is the all- time hottest temperature for Feb. 1 at the Burbank recording station. The previous record high was 87 in 1976. 1995: 90 1976: 87 1980: 80 1991: 78 1953: 77 1964: 76 Source: WeatherData Inc.