Updated May. 3, 2020 6:25 AM
Following a brief cooling trend along the California coast this past week, meteorologists expect temperatures to throttle back to summer levels once again during the first full week of May.
A heat wave gripped much of California last weekend, and thousands of people crowded popular beaches despite warnings from officials to maintain social distancing measures amid the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Gavin Newsom has since closed beaches indefinitely, warning that the virus doesn't stop for the weekend.
The core of the heat has since shifted well inland over the United States and will focus from the southern Rockies to the southern and central Plains this weekend.
A disturbance pushing across the interior Southwest through Sunday will bring continued cooler conditions to the region as it produces gusty winds over the mountains and through the passes and some of the canyons. The cooling effects of the system will be fleeting, however.
The next surge of warmth on the coast and buildup of heat across the interior of California will begin this week, peaking during the middle to latter days of the week.
"We expect temperatures to surge to 10-20 degrees above average this week," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.
Around May 5 (Cinco de Mayo), normal high temperatures around California typically range from 60 around Lake Tahoe, to the upper 60s in San Francisco and San Diego, the mid-70s in Downtown Los Angeles, the upper 70s in Sacramento and near 90 in Palm Springs. Like much of the nation during May, normal temperatures trend upward by a degree every two to four days over most of California.
Even though winds are not likely to be very strong, just enough of an offshore flow is forecast to push warmth from the interior West toward the Pacific coast.
"The marine layer will be minimal and any sea breeze along the coast rather weak," Anderson said, explaining how heat will spread all the way to coastal areas. The marine layer is a flow of cool, moist air from the Pacific Ocean, which often penetrates a few dozen miles inland and is most pronounced during the late spring and early summer.
Around the Los Angeles basin, high temperatures will trend upward from the 70s this weekend to within a few degrees of 90 during Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Even San Diego can expect highs to trend upward from the lower 70s this weekend to the lower 80s later next week.
Highs in Palm Springs are forecast to swell from the upper 90s this weekend to perhaps just shy of the 110-degree mark by midweek. Palm Springs had a high of 100 or higher for eight consecutive days in a row from April 23-30.
Farther north, across the Sacramento Valley, temperatures will trend upward as well with highs to be mainly in the 80s during the middle to latter part of the week. Along the Northern California coast, San Francisco is likely to peak in the lower 70s for a couple of days.
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Dry conditions will accompany the hot spell across the Golden State. Californians know that dry weather is no stranger to May. The month marks the time of the year when storms tend to wane across the state, and this month could bring practically no precipitation to the central and southern parts of the state.
"There are no signs of any storms dropping in with meaningful precipitation across central and southern portions of California for at least the next couple of weeks and perhaps the entire month," AccuWeather Long-Range Meteorologist Tyler Roys said.
There will be some storm systems over the northern Pacific Ocean, and some of the tail ends of those storms can brush Washington, Oregon and perhaps the northern part of Northern California, but not likely locations farther to the south.
Average rainfall for San Francisco is a lean 0.47 of an inch, while Los Angeles averages a mere 0.26 of an inch of rain the entire month of May. The last rainfall in San Francisco was on April 6, when 0.66 of an inch fell. The last downpour in Los Angeles was on April 12 when 0.06 of an inch of rain was measured.
The latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitor does not indicate any drought or abnormally dry conditions across Southern California, but Central California is in the grips of a moderate drought with the most serious drought over the northern part of the state. More plentiful storms targeted the Southland, whereas significant storms bypassed areas farther to the north during the latter part of the winter.
"There may be enough of an offshore breeze, combined with the sunshine, heat and low humidity to elevate the wildfire danger this weekend," Anderson said, adding that the dry and drought conditions have added to the danger by drying out vegetation and creating fuel. Meteorologists warn that people working outdoors with power equipment should exercise caution since wildfires could quickly ignite and spread under the forecast conditions.
Anderson said that those spending time outdoors should also apply sunscreen, wear sunglasses and have a means to keep hydrated.
For those seeking heat relief near streams with the beaches closed, there are other dangers to be aware of and take precautions against. The surging temperatures can accelerate the spring thaw in the mountains causing streams to run fast and furious. Water temperatures will be only a few degrees above freezing, which is cold enough to lead to dangerous cold water shock should anyone fall in or get swept away by raging waters.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
