Southern California Battles Historic Heat Only Days Following Major Winter Storm.
In the wake of heavy downpours that led to inundation across areas in the city, the City of Angels is now confronting unusually warm weather for the end of February.
Record-Shattering Temperatures
By Friday afternoon, the thermometer climbed to 33 degrees Celsius (91 Fahrenheit) in downtown Los Angeles, as reported by weather officials. This exceeds the prior high for February 27th, which was 31 degrees Celsius (88 Fahrenheit) and was recorded just last year.
"Very warm conditions" were labeled on NWS graphics for the region.
Safety Warnings
Authorities cautioned that Friday's conditions posed an "higher threat for heat illness" for those at risk. Their recommendations suggested:
- Keeping well-hydrated.
- Avoiding outdoor activities during the afternoon hours of the day.
- Never leaving kids or animals unattended in a parked vehicle.
A Dramatic Shift
This sharp rise in mercury comes on the heels of a massive storm system that struck the area earlier in the week. That system brought heavy snow, strong winds, and thunderstorms to mountainous regions, causing evacuation orders for millions residents.
Unfortunately, the storm also triggered a deadly avalanche in the Lake Tahoe area, which resulted in nine fatalities.
Temperatures Easing
Looking ahead cooler conditions will arrive. Temperatures were predicted to drop to around 16 degrees Celsius (61 Fahrenheit) in downtown LA by Friday night.
Additional areas that experienced ninety degrees were Woodland Hills, Long Beach, and Burbank. Elsewhere, Westwood, Camarillo, Santa Maria, and Oxnard were expected to experience the upper eighties.
In the coming days, central LA can anticipate readings in the eighties, with cooler weather likely for the following week.
