Southern California Faces Historic Heat Just Days Following Severe Winter Storm.
After enduring significant rainfall that resulted in floodwaters across parts of the city, Los Angeles is now seeing abnormally hot weather for late February.
Record-Setting Readings
By Friday afternoon, the mercury reached 91°F (33°C) in the city center, as reported by meteorologists. This breaks the old record for this date, which was 31 degrees Celsius (88 Fahrenheit) and was set just last year.
"Unusually high temperatures" were highlighted on forecast charts for the region.
Public Health Advisories
The weather service stated that Friday's conditions posed an "increased danger for heat illness" for people sensitive to heat. Their recommendations included:
- Drinking plenty of fluids.
- Reducing outdoor activities during the peak heat of the day.
- Not leaving kids or animals unattended in a parked vehicle.
A Sharp Weather Swing
This sharp rise in heat follows closely after a massive storm system that battered the region earlier in the week. That system delivered thunderstorms, high winds, and heavy snow to mountainous regions, triggering evacuation orders for millions residents.
Sadly, the conditions also resulted in a massive avalanche in the Lake Tahoe area, which resulted in nine fatalities.
Weekend Outlook
The outlook suggests some relief will arrive. The heat were expected to decrease to around 61°F (16°C) in downtown LA by overnight.
Several cities that hit 90°F featured Long Beach, Burbank, and Woodland Hills. Elsewhere, Oxnard, Westwood, Camarillo, and Santa Maria were expected to reach the high eighties.
Over Saturday and Sunday, downtown Los Angeles can anticipate readings in the 80s, with mid-70s temperatures expected for the week ahead.
