Santa Ana Winds Drive High Temperatures Into Southland, People To Beaches
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — High temperatures warmed up parts of the Southland Wednesday, beginning a mini-heatwave expected to continue through Sunday's Super Bowl.
A heat advisory was in effect until 6 p.m. Sunday for the L.A. County coast, including downtown Los Angeles, along with the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys, and Orange County inland and coastal areas.
Temperatures were expected to reach up to 90 degrees in some areas.
The uncharacteristically high temperatures drove both locals and tourists to the beach in droves on Wednesday, in an attempt to cool off and get an early start on their Summer tans.
Joseph Ali, the general manager at Zack's Surfboard and Bike Rentals at the Pier in Huntington Beach told CBS reporters that he had already helped people from Utah, Colorado and Michigan. "It's beautiful. You've got to be here! SoCal baby!" he bragged.
"I'm thinking it's another day in paradise," said Bryan Haskell, a Pomona resident, who wanted to enjoy the perfect beach day with his dog Mimi. "February and we're out here in shorts, enjoying the beach. It's amazing. Only in Southern California."
Meanwhile, a wind advisory that was in effect for the San Fernando Valley and local mountains expired at noon but higher winds were expected to kick up again by Wednesday night.
The heat was driven into the area by the Santa Ana winds which have gripped Southern California for the greater part of a month, though these temperatures are far higher than anything locals are used to in February.
"It's pretty crazy, we were down here last week. It was so cold that we got blown away," said Amanda Sue Watson, a Coto de Caza resident who made the short trip to Huntington on Wednesday with her toddler in tow. "Today we're in shorts and sunscreen," she continued.
Another wind advisory will take effect at 10 p.m. Wednesday and continue to 4 p.m. Thursday for the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys and Los Angeles County Mountains and Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area.
In the coastal area, a wind advisory will be in effect from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday.
By Wednesday morning, temperatures were already 20 or more degrees warmer than they the day prior.
"A warming trend will continue across the region as high pressure aloft builds in and a persistent offshore flow continues through the weekend," according to the National Weather Service. "Near record high temperatures are possible during the peak of the heat today (Wednesday) through Friday."
Despite the warmer-than-average temperatures, the ocean remained cool, coming in at 58 degrees Wednesday.
That didn't stop Mario Cruz, an Oregon native who was visiting the Corona del Mar beach in Newport Beach, from taking advantage of what he called, "the most beautiful weather I've ever seen." He went fully-clothed into the water - with shoes, watch and hat included. "When you live in Oregon you don't do these kind of things. Crazy things like this, you come to California and enjoy."
New York transplant David Peters, who's lived in the Huntington Beach area for nearly 20 years, couldn't agree more. He called Wednesday "an eleven out of ten," nothing that where he's from back in upstate New York, "it's about 20 degrees ... and your car probably does not start."
The current forecast for Sunday's Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium calls for temperatures in the mid to upper 80s, in what may be the warmest game in Super Bowl history.
(© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)