‘Miserable’ Southern California summer heat wave to relent with significant drop in temperature

Some much needed relief will arrive in Southern California with high temperatures taking a dip in the latter half of the week, and weak winds providing some aid to firefighters currently battling the Line and Bridge fires.

High temperatures extending into the triple digits in parts of Los Angeles County were expected to see a significant drop by late Tuesday and heading into Wednesday, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Adams. Inland temperatures were expected to drop at least 10 degrees by Wednesday with highs hanging around the high 70s to mid 80s, while highs along the coastal cities clinging to the low 70s.

In the Angeles National Forest, where the Bridge had devoured 1,255 acres and remained at zero percent containment as of Monday morning, Sept. 9, temperatures will see a slight dip, dropping from highs in the 90s down to the high 70s by Wednesday.

“Thankfully, we have no threat of thunderstorms over the next few days,” Adams said. “The strongest winds will be over the mountains into the deserts and below passes.”

However, drier conditions heading into the weekend could pose additional wildfire threats.

Down in Orange County, coastal areas will see ideal summer conditions, with highs in the low to mid 70s thanks to some marine layer coverage expected to arrive around Thursday. Heading inland, cities like Anaheim and Fullerton will feel heat in the high 70s to low 80s, with some steady decrease as the weekend approaches.

Meanwhile in the Inland Empire, temperatures that hit triple digits last week will also begin to drop as the weekend approaches, with highs heading down to the low 90s and upper 80s, said meteorologist Casey Oswalt.

In the San Bernardino National Forest near Highland, where firefighters were battling the Line fire that had charred 20,553 acres by Monday, conditions were expected to remain mostly the same, with temperatures only seeing about a five degree drop.

“Temperatures are not looking to recover very well there, sticking around the upper 80s,” Oswalt said. “Thankfully, the gustier winds that could pose a problem to firefighters will be mostly in the high elevation areas of the San Bernardino Mountains and the high desert area.”

Heading into next week, temperatures are expected to stay in line with the weekend weather — warm, but not terribly so — hanging around five to ten degrees below average, Adams said.

“Its going to be warm still but not miserable like it has been the past week,” Adams said. “Overnight temperatures is where we’re going to see the real relief.”

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