‘Heat dome’ to return to broil Southern California this weekend
After a brief reprieve, a persistent “heat dome” that has broiled the Southwest since early July will return to Southern California this weekend, bringing another round of sweltering temperatures.
Highs are expected to peak Sunday in most of Los Angeles County, reaching triple digits in the valleys and deserts, and into the 90s downtown and the upper 80s along the coast.
“The beaches and coastal sections are going to be affected a little bit more than in previous heat stretches,” said David Sweet, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
The worst of this latest heat wave, which is not expected to be as hot as others this summer, will hit Saturday and continue through Monday, forecasters said.
“It’s going to be a dry heat,” Sweet said, which will also elevate the threat for wildfires, especially inland.
Downtown Los Angeles can expect high temperatures to remain in the upper 70s and mid-80s through Friday, until Saturday when there will be significant warming. Highs over the weekend are expected in the upper 80s to mid-90s.
Southern California will see cooler temperatures and possibly thunderstorms this week, a reprieve from a ‘heat dome’ that broiled the area for weeks.
The valleys are looking at highs up to 102 Saturday and 104 Sunday, with the Antelope Valley reaching 108 Sunday.
The stagnant, high pressure system — commonly referred to as a heat dome — has brought dangerously highs to Death Valley and a month straight of temperatures above 110 degrees in Phoenix. Last month, a 71-year-old man collapsed after completing a hike in Death Valley and died of what officials believe were heat-related causes.
No major U.S. city is more dependent on air conditioning than Phoenix. It’s less a matter of comfort than survival.
“It’s expanding outward over our area for the weekend, but then getting pushed out again,” Sweet said of the heat dome.
Excessive heat warnings will be in effect from Saturday through Monday for much of Southern California, including the Coachella Valley and San Diego County deserts, extending into Arizona. “Dangerously hot conditions” with highs of up to 116 degrees are expected in some desert areas.
The Central Valley will also feel the effects of the latest heat wave, with the hottest temperatures expected Monday.
No heat warnings have been issued yet for Los Angeles County, but officials are still urging people to use caution in the hot weather. They advise people to stay hydrated and that seniors, children and people with underlying health conditions remain in their air-conditioned homes or to seek out cooling stations.
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