High temperatures, humidity and possible thunderstorms expected as high pressure system moves through SoCal
A high pressure system moving through the Southland has brought extremely high temperatures, humidity and possible thunderstorms with it.
The system, moving from east to west, is expected to fully arrive by the weekend.
As the high pressure arrives, the marine layer is pushed back towards the coast, bringing higher temperatures earlier in the day. Several regions are expected to hit triple digits, especially in high desert areas. The Coachella Valley and Palm Springs area are expected to go into an extreme heat warning over the weekend as a result.
Both the valleys and Inland Empire are expected to reach triple digit temperatures.
Temperatures in Los Angeles and Orange County metropolitan areas will reach highs of 89 come Saturday, before temperatures return to normal by Wednesday.
"There will be significant warming across the area through Saturday, with triple-digit heat likely across the valleys and deserts," according to the National Weather Service. "Skies will be mostly clear except for areas of morning low clouds at the coast. There will be a slight chance of thunderstorms over the eastern San Gabriel mountains and adjacent portions of the Antelope Valley each afternoon Friday through Sunday."
As the bulk of the monsoonal movement makes it way through the area over the weekend, residents were also told to expect high levels of humidity, reaching dew point levels over 55 - when muggy weather becomes noticeable.
Residents are warned of scattered thunderstorms, especially those living in mountain or desert regions, as well as strong gusts of wind and potential hail storms.
The monsoonal thunderstorms are more likely to occur during the afternoon each day of the weekend, beginning Thursday and lasting through Monday.
Several regions in the Antelope Valley were impacted by isolated thunderstorms Thursday afternoon, dropping a little under half an inch of precipitation in the area. As expected, the majority of the activity remained in the eastern portion of the state, with some cells reaching the Mojave Desert.
More of the same was expected Friday afternoon, staying over mountains in the eastern Antelope Valley and San Gabriel Mountains.
As usual, thunderstorms are traditionally accompanied by lightning, something that should put Southland residents on high alert after a woman was fatally struck while walking her dogs during a series of thunderstorms in Pico Rivera in June.
Additionally, the National Weather Service detailed extremely high tides lasting through Thursday evening due to the full moon. The "king tides," the highest of the year -- about two feet higher than normal -- could reach walkways and parking lots of several Southland beaches.
