Hot, Humid Weather Grips Southland

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Unusually warm weather heated up parts of the Southland early on Monday, although shifting winds eventually helped cool things down in some areas.

Forecasters on Monday also said the Los Angeles area will likely be spared the rain that was initially anticipated. Select areas of Riverside, Orange and San Bernardino Counties are still expected to see precipitation.

National Weather Service forecasters noted that temperatures zoomed as high as 97 degrees by 9 a.m. in Woodland Hills, but surging winds brought cooler air into the area, driving down the temperature by about 10 degrees within an hour.

Forecasters had warned of a chance of showers and even possible thunderstorms beginning Monday night and continuing into Tuesday, thanks to a low-pressure system. But by early afternoon on Monday, that moisture appeared to be moving away from the Southland.

"In terms of precipitation, it's not looking favorable for our area," the NWS said.

Forecasters said the moisture appeared to be moving south. The Los Angeles area will likely get more clouds, but it isn't expected to see any rain. Forecasters said there's still about a 20 percent chance of some precipitation in Orange County.

Santa Ana set a weather record on Monday, with the temperature dropping only to 73 degrees, setting a new mark for highest minimum temperature. The previous record of 71 degrees was set in 1983. Newport Beach tied the record set in 1939, with the temperature dropping only to 73 degrees.

Temperatures are expected to remain warm this week, although slightly cooler for the next two days.

"Some additional cooling (is) expected Tuesday with again some eddy winds through early afternoon, though probably not as strong as today," according to the NWS. "Highs in the Valleys should be similar to what temps are/were early this afternoon, mostly in the mid- to high-90s. Temps will not rocket up tomorrow morning like they did today without the lingering offshore flow we had this morning, so overall a cooler day but with higher humidities."

Humidity and cloud cover will decrease on Wednesday, but more heat is expected beginning Thursday, with Valley highs expected to reach back into the mid- to upper-90s, and even around triple-digits in traditional hot spots, the NWS said.