Dry Heat Wave, Gusty Winds To Bake SoCal This Week, Raising Fire Concerns

After a few early season storms, the Southland will fall back into a spell of dry and hot temperatures, raising the potential for fire danger statewide.

Hot weather and Santa Ana winds will push through Southern California and forecasters say the combination could trigger the fall wildfire season.

A heat advisory will take effect throughout swaths of Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside and Orange counties this week, where temperatures up to 91 degrees are expected, according to the National Weather Service.

The heat advisory will begin at 10 a.m. on Tuesday in LA County and 11 a.m. everywhere else, forecasters said.

"Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of
the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors," NWS forecasters in San Diego said Monday.

The warmup is expected to start between Monday night and Tuesday morning with the arrival of the Santa Ana winds. Temperatures throughout SoCal are expected to rise 10 to 15 degrees above normal for this time of year.

The warmest days this week are expected to arrive Tuesday and Wednesday.

"Can't rule out some record highs those days, though temperatures would have to be in the higher range of what's expected as records are in the low to mid 90s away from the immediate coast," weather service forecasters said Monday.

A red flag warning has not been issued anywhere, but winds are expected to gust 35 to 45 mph at times.

"The first Santa Ana Wind event of the season is expected Tuesday
and Wednesday, bringing very warm temperatures to the coasts and
valleys and gusty winds to the typically wind prone corridor of
Los Angeles and Ventura Counties as well as most mountains," NWS forecasters in Los Angeles wrote Monday.

And temperatures aren't expected to fall until next weekend.

"The ridge of high pressure will remain in pace through next weekend, resulting in temperatures remaining well above normal for this time of year through the extended period," according to the NWS.

The news of hot weather that could spark fires comes as many areas continue to recover from devastating wildfires, particularly those that leveled Los Angeles communities in January.

Here is the forecast across SoCal this Wednesday, according to the weather service:

• Los Angeles: Sunny, with a high near 92. North wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west in the morning.
• Malibu: Sunny, with a high near 90. North northeast wind 10 to 15 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.
• Long beach: Sunny, with a high near 86. North northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph.
• Mission Viejo: Sunny, with a high near 92. Light and variable wind becoming northwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
• Orange: Sunny, with a high near 94. Light and variable wind becoming west 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
• Banning: Sunny, with a high near 86. East wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
• Temecula: Sunny, with a high near 94. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.
• Palm Desert: Sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph.
• San Diego: Sunny, with a high near 85. Light and variable wind becoming northwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
• Santee: Sunny, with a high near 92. Light and variable wind becoming northwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Although forecasters say the weather pattern is unseasonable for this time of year, La Niña could be to blame for a return to hot and dry conditions this October.

Although La Niña often means a wetter winter in NorCal, this year’s signal is mixed. NOAA maps show a 33 to 40 percent chance that much of the Bay Area will see seasonal precipitation 33 to 40 percent lower than normal between December and February. Experts are also currently uncertain whether the Bay Area will see higher or lower temperatures than normal.

In Southern California, weather officials expect winter will be hotter and drier than usual, which can exacerbate drought and wildfire conditions.

READ MORE: La Niña Has Officially Arrived: Here's What That Means For Fall And Winter In CA