LANCASTER (CNS) - An elevated risk of fire will threaten the Antelope Valley and its San Gabriel Mountains foothills today because of high temperatures, dry conditions and high winds, forecasters said.
The National Weather Service issued the same warning Tuesday and Wednesday, but not yesterday.
Highs in the Antelope Valley could reach 102 degrees today, according to the National Weather Service, which said these conditions would last through Saturday.
To minimize the risk of sparking a fire, the weather service urged residents to refrain from burning brush or trash outdoors, parking vehicles on grass, or leave a hot grill unattended. The NWS also urged residents to wet the ground before conducting work and warn kids not to play with fire.
NWS meteorologist Todd Hall said humidity levels in the Antelope Valley would be 12-20 percent today, a little more humid than it has been, thanks to an increasing onshore flow miles away at the coast. He added that the wind would blow about 15-25 per hour, gusting to 45 mph.
The Antelope Valley will be 5-7 degrees above normal today but temperatures will be much closer to normal in the rest of the county. A cooling trend is expected at the weekend, Hall said.
The NWS forecast partly cloudy skies in L.A County today and highs of 72 degrees at LAX; 73 in Avalon; 77 in Long Beach; 78 on Mt. Wilson; 83 in Burbank and San Gabriel; 4 in Pasadena; 88 in Saugus; 89 in Woodland Hills; 99 in Palmdale; and 100 in Lancaster. Temperatures will be the same or marginally higher Saturday, then begin slowly declining, rising again Tuesday. By Thursday, highs will be where they are today.
Partly cloudy skies were forecast along the Orange County coast today but sunny conditions will prevail in inland Orange County and in the Santa Ana Mountains. Highs will be 69 in Laguna Beach; 70 in San Clemente; 73 on Santiago Peak; 76 on Ortega Highway at 2,600 feet; 77 at Fremont Canyon; 79 in Irvine and Mission Viejo; 80 in Fullerton and Trabuco Canyon; and 81 in Anaheim and Yorba Linda. Similar temperatures will prevail at least through Thursday.
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