Southern California finally began to see relief from a stretch of brutally hot temperatures and unusually high humidity this Friday, with forecasts pointing to a significant cooling trend throughout the weekend. The region had been grappling with record-breaking heat and stifling moisture, leading to health and safety concerns, especially in homes and schools without air conditioning.
“The relief is coming,” National Weather Service meteorologist Bryan Lewis said Friday morning. “In general, things are going to start to feel a lot better.”
The last of the heat advisories issued by the weather service are set to expire Friday evening for most of Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties, along with the Inland Empire. Temperatures across the region were expected to drop 4 to 8 degrees on Friday from peaks seen Thursday. This downward trend is anticipated to continue, with Sunday’s highs likely settling a few degrees below normal for this time of year.
Lewis described the shift as “a pretty big swing” from the conditions experienced earlier in the week. By Saturday, coastal areas are forecast to see temperatures around the upper 70s, while inland valleys could expect highs in the mid-80s, possibly even lower 80s. Sunday is expected to be even cooler. The oppressive humidity, which scientists believe may have been the highest ever experienced in the Southland, is also on its way out. The weather service confirmed in its Friday forecast that "the sticky tropical air will finally exit the region by this weekend," with marine layer clouds likely returning to many coastal areas.
While the heat and humidity subside, the region is also seeing an end to the high surf and rough ocean conditions that battered coastlines from Malibu to San Diego over the past week. National Weather Service meteorologist Rich Thompson noted that "That swell from former Hurricane Marie has died off," suggesting beach conditions "should be pretty normal" moving forward.
However, the impacts of those powerful, high waves are still being assessed by coastal communities. Laguna Beach on Friday joined a growing list of Southern California cities that have declared a local emergency in the wake of the storm. City officials reported widespread coastal erosion, stating that the swells pulled “a significant amount of sand off our beaches.” Damage was also confirmed to a parking lot at Aliso Beach and to sea walls in front of six oceanfront homes on Ocean Way and Lagunita Drive, which have been "yellow-tagged" as a precaution.
Laguna Beach follows Dana Point, which declared an emergency earlier in the week after more than a dozen homes were damaged by strong surf. Malibu also took similar action after a massive sinkhole appeared at a beachside residence.
Looking ahead, meteorologists expect the more seasonal conditions to last. “It honestly seems like it will stay cooler than normal for pretty much the entire area this weekend, and for the first part of next week,” Lewis stated, adding that it would be "pretty nice compared to what we did see the last few days," which he called "pretty brutal." Officials had also sounded alarms regarding the potential health impacts tied to the week’s intense heat and oppressive humidity.
