It Feels Like Summer In Los Angeles, As Temperatures Soar

A slow-moving ridge of high pressure has ushered in summer-like temperatures to Southern California, sending droves of people to the Pacific coast for a dip and prompting Los Angeles Marathon organizers to schedule an early start.

Los Angeles temperatures in mid-March typically top out around 70 degrees. But by Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service said the downtown temperature hit the 91-degree mark. Santa Monica reached 93 degrees, and Torrance, just south of Los Angeles, hit 95 degrees.

"Go to New England if you're looking for cooler temperatures," advised federal meteorologist John Dumas, who said the high pressure could linger over the region until early next week.

That weather pattern turns off the cooling sea breeze and turns up the temperatures, Dumas said.

High-temperature records fell across the region Friday, including in Long Beach at 91 degrees and Santa Ana at 96 degrees.

To beat the heat, marathon organizers will kick off the race Sunday at 6:55 a.m., 30 minutes earlier than originally scheduled. The unusually hot weather was expected to send as many as 1 million people to beaches in and around Los Angeles, backing up freeways near the coast.