While winter-weary New England braces for another blast of cold and snow, the Southland is basking in sunny skies and temperatures in the 80s.
Highs Sunday are expected to range from around 70 at the beaches to around 80 inland.
A small break in the warmer-than-normal weather that’s prevailed since Tuesday was expected to arrive on Sunday, said National Weather Service Meteorologist Curt Kaplan.
High pressure to the west and a high-level low stretching south into Baja has brought on-shore air flow, but those factors will diminish and winds will start coming off the ocean Sunday and some low clouds will move in on Monday night, he said.
Saturday was the warmest day, with a cooling trend starting Sunday, Kaplan said.
It won’t be much of a cool-down, however. The onshore flow will be weak and the mercury is forecast to rise again by Tuesday, although not dramatically, Kaplan said.
“Overall, it’s still going to be above normal for this time of year,” he said of the week ahead.
Dry conditions are expected to persist, but moist fuels and low winds will mitigate the danger of wildfire, he said.
While the warm temperatures and clear blue skies made area beaches a popular Valentine’s Day destination, the weather service warned of high surf, dangerous sneaker waves up to six feet high and strong rip currents along exposed west-facing shores.
— Staff and Wire Reports