LOS ANGELES, Calif. Southern California is finally getting some relief after one of the hottest stretches of the summer pushed temperatures into the triple digits across parts of the region and sent residents searching for shade, air conditioning and any possible escape from the heat.
A cooling trend is arriving across the Southland Sunday, bringing temperatures closer to what Southern Californians would normally expect at the end of August. The change follows several days of extreme conditions that produced record temperatures in communities throughout Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
Woodland Hills reached 111 degrees during the heat wave, breaking a previous daily record of 109 degrees set in 1981. Lancaster climbed to 107 degrees, while downtown Los Angeles reached 98 degrees and tied a record dating back more than four decades. Record temperatures were also reported in Camarillo and Oxnard.
For many residents, the heat was especially noticeable because even some coastal communities that typically benefit from cooler ocean air experienced unusually warm conditions.
Now, the forecast is beginning to look much more comfortable.
The National Weather Service expects Sunday temperatures in much of coastal Southern California to range from approximately 78 to 85 degrees. Western valleys and inland Orange County are expected to reach roughly 85 to 91 degrees, while inland valleys could still see temperatures between 88 and 96 degrees. Desert communities will remain considerably hotter.
The cooling trend is expected to continue into the middle of the week across Orange, San Diego, western Riverside and southwestern San Bernardino counties. Morning and nighttime low clouds are also expected to become more widespread, potentially reaching into some western valleys.
The changing weather could also bring another twist.
Forecasters are watching tropical moisture associated with Tropical Cyclone Karina. Although the system itself is expected to remain well south of Southern California, moisture moving north could increase cloud cover Tuesday and Wednesday and bring a 15 to 25 percent chance of light precipitation to portions of the region covered by the National Weather Service’s San Diego office.
The cooler forecast will likely be welcomed by residents after the recent heat put additional pressure on electrical systems and made outdoor activity difficult during the hottest parts of the day. Thousands of Southern California residents experienced intermittent power outages during the heat wave, including communities in Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire.
The weather also serves as another reminder of Southern California’s dramatic climate contrasts. Within a relatively short drive, temperatures this weekend can vary significantly between the beaches, inland valleys and desert communities.
While coastal Los Angeles and Orange County move back toward comfortable summer conditions, parts of the low desert are still expected to reach between 104 and 107 degrees Sunday.
For residents across Los Angeles, Orange County, the Inland Empire and San Diego, however, the broader trend is positive. After days of unusually intense August heat, much of Southern California is heading into the new week with cooler afternoons, increased coastal clouds and temperatures returning closer to seasonal norms.
And after a week when 100 degree temperatures became reality across parts of the Southland, even a typical Southern California summer day may suddenly feel like a welcome break.
