Yes, it was hot in L.A. but not a record. Monday could be different

Sunday was hot, but not that hot. The high of 85 degrees at the downtown weather station was 12 degrees above normal for the day, but nowhere near the record, according to the National Weather Service.

The hottest Nov. 15 was 93 degrees, set in 2008.

Tomorrow could be different. The warming trend is forecast to continue Monday, and, by a quirk of history, Nov. 16 has the lowest record for mid-November, said National Weather Service meteorologist Kathy Hoxsie.

“Through the rest of the month until the 29th, the record highs are all in the 90s,” Hoxsie said. “Tomorrow just happens to be an unusually low record. But maybe we’ll change that tomorrow.”

The hottest Nov. 16 on record was also in 2008 when the mercury dipped five degrees from the previous day to 88 degrees, Hoxsie said. The forecast for Monday is 87. But Sunday’s high climbed above the forecast.

“The fact that today was a couple degrees warmer than we had expected, I’d say 87 to 89 is probably likely,” Hoxsie said.

Even with the mid-month heat wave, November is not shaping up to be a fourth month of record average temperatures. Another cooling trend is coming. The forecast for the days ahead is 75 on Tuesday, 71 on Wednesday and 70 on Thursday, falling below normal.

“I think most people would say we’re not going to set a monthly record,” Hoxsie said. “My hesitation is I’ve seen some amazing things in weather. I have a hard time saying absolutely not.

“If we suddenly have a big heat wave, things can change, but we’re not consistently above normal like we were for August, September and October.”

If a new record comes Monday, it will still be unusual for this time of year. The record for Nov. 14 is 93, set all the way back in 1933. Tuesday’s record is 92 and Wednesday’s 94, Hoxsie said.

“Records are fun to look at,” Hoxsie said. “You get some oddities like this.”