Extreme Heat Forecast For Desert, Coast This Weekend

If you've made plans to get physically active in Southern California this weekend, you may want to reschedule: the National Weather Service is warning that it's going to be hot this weekend, with the eastern part of the state getting very hot. According to a series of Excessive Heat Watches issued for the deserts and the coast alike, Southern California is likely to reach record-breaking temperatures between Friday, June 28 and Monday July 1, with the worst of the heat on the weekend.

The heat watches cover urban coastal and inland Southern California and areas below 4,000 feet in elevation in the California desert, as well as much of Nevada and Arizona. The cause is a strong area of high pressure from Texas expected to settle in over the southwest between Friday morning and Monday evening, with some speculation that it will remain well into the next week.

The highest temps will likely hit Saturday and Sunday. Forecasted temperatures include highs between 125° and 127° in Death Valley, 115° to 123° in the Colorado River valley, and 112° to 115° in the Morongo Basin north of Joshua Tree National Park. Temps in the Coachella and Imperial Valleys are expected to hit highs between 115° and 120°. The Southern California coast isn't getting off easy either, with temperatures in excess of 100° forecast for Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and the Central Coast, and above 110° in the Antelope Valley.

Temperatures like this demand respect. The National Weather Service's advisory for the Mojave make that clear: "The hot temperatures will create a dangerous situation in which heat illnesses are possible. Drink plenty of water...stay in an air-conditioned room ... stay out of direct sunlight ... and check up on relatives and neighbors."

If you can't avoid traveling or working in the heat, make sure to take basic precautions to protect yourself against heat and to recognize and give basic first aid for heat illnesses.