As the spring season continues its march toward summer, Southern California is bracing for a significant warm-up. According to the National Weather Service's San Diego, temperatures will climb to around 3-8 degrees above normal today. The trend doesn't show signs of stopping there, as by Wednesday, thermometer readings are expected to rise even higher, potentially reaching 10-15 degrees above normal.
The forecast, which was updated early this morning, indicates that "warm weather will prevail through the week," with the possibility of "highs of 100 degrees or more in the Coachella Valley." In addition, the inland regions are bracing for temperatures that could greatly exceed the norms for this time of year by midweek, potentially skyrocketing to 10 to locally 20 degrees above regular readings. In the greater desert areas, such as the lower deserts, there is a 50-70% chance of hitting the century mark come Thursday, as highlighted by NWS San Diego.
The conditions result from a high-pressure system building from the south and an upper-level ridge moving inland, according to the Area Forecast Discussion. With this setup, even coastal regions are expected to see temperatures around 5 degrees above normal. Inland Empire and high desert areas have an almost certain chance of sweltering in 90-degree weather, as the heat peaks by Thursday.
Marine layers, heralding cooler air and fog, are predicted to bring a slight reprieve with a 50-60% chance of low clouds along the coast by Monday morning. However, ensemble forecasts are less certain about the much-needed cooling as the weekend approaches. Despite these projections, "no hazardous marine conditions are expected through Friday,” the National Weather Service outlines. Meanwhile, those inland areas should plan better for the heat wave to persist until the end of the week. Skywarn, an NWS program of trained volunteer weather spotters, is standing by, but activation has not been requested.
