Brace yourselves, Southern Californians. The heat is about to give way to a break.
According to the National Weather Service, you may have to wait another day.
In its Tuesday morning forecast, the weather service said “a significant cooling trend will begin today as flow returns to land,” but warned that “temperatures will still be in the 32 to 38 degrees in the warmer mountains and valleys.” Excessive heat warnings will remain in effect for Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
In the Los Angeles Basin, most areas are expected to see temperatures drop by up to 10 degrees on Tuesday. Inland areas are still expected to hover in the 80s and 90s, while temperatures could dip to the low 70s along the coast.
By Wednesday, temperatures are expected to drop another 10 degrees before settling at slightly below average on Thursday, with highs in the 70s and 80s, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Robbie Munroe.
Humidity is expected to be 10 to 20 percent throughout the week, but the weather should be less dry by Thursday as the marine layer deepens and carries moisture into the region.
Orange and San Bernardino counties are expected to see similar conditions, with the Inland Empire being the hottest and driest area of the region.
The weather service issued a red flag warning, signaling dangerous fire growth conditions, for the mountains around the Angeles National Forest, including the Bridge Fire area, through noon Wednesday.
Red flag conditions are also expected to persist in the San Gabriel Mountains and extend to the Interstate 5 corridor and the Antelope Valley through early Wednesday.
Over the past few days, heat has combined with high winds to create conditions ripe for extreme wildfires to spread. Fires have broken out in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange counties, filling the air with smoke and ash, creating a hazard for residents.
On Tuesday, the South Coast Air Quality Management District issued an air quality alert that was in effect overnight due to increased fine particle pollution from wildfire smoke in Orange County and the Inland Empire.
Winds are expected to reach 20 mph or more on the area’s hills Tuesday, sparking flames and pushing smoke into nearby communities.
“It’s literally going to fan the flames,” said Philip Gonsalves, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego. “It’s going to make the fire spread faster. That’s the bad news. The good news is that the direction of the spread becomes a little more predictable.”
An air quality alert due to increased fine particle pollution from wildfire smoke is in effect until 11 p.m. Tuesday in inland areas of Orange County and the Inland Empire.
The Corona-Norco Unified School District announced that Wilson, Temescal Valley and Todd elementary schools were closed Tuesday, along with their after-school programs due to poor air quality. The district, which includes about 50 schools, also canceled outdoor activities and sports at all schools until further notice.
