Sunday was one of the hottest days ever recorded in Southern California. A tally of historic heat
Sunday’s heat wave broke all-time high temperature records in some areas.
But even where the broiling temperatures didn’t set all-time records, the conditions were unbearable for many and marked the hottest conditions in years.
The National Weather Service called Sunday “one of the hottest days since official weather records began across much of Southwestern California.” Officials noted the heat peaked in the afternoon, but cooling overnight was minimal.
Woodland Hills made national headlines with a 121-degree reading that marked the hottest temperature ever recorded at an official National Weather Service station in Los Angeles County.
Other locations to hit all-time highs:
- Escondido 115 degrees
- Paso Robles 117
- Idyllwild 104
- Chino 121
- Van Nuys Airport 118
- San Luis Obispo Airport 117
Dozens of other locations hit new highs for the day:
Los Angeles County
- Stunt Ranch 122 degrees
- Winnetka 122
- Northridge 120
- Chatsworth 119
- Topanga 118
- Beverly Hills (Highlands) 118
- West Hills 118
- Porter Ranch 117
- Duarte 117
- Malibu Canyon 117
- Agoura Hills 116
- Santa Fe Dam 116
- Malibu Lake 115
- Saugus 115
- San Rafael Hills 115
- Santa Clarita 115
- Pasadena 114
- La Crescenta 114
- Sierra Madre 114
- Rancho Palos Verdes 113
- Bouquet Canyon 113
Ventura County
- Fillmore (Foothills) 120 degrees
- Oak View 120
- Thousand Oaks Civic Center 119
- Fillmore Fish Hatchery 118
- Ojai 118
- Harmon 118
- Cheeseboro 117
- Piru 117
- Westlake Village 116
- East Simi Valley 116
- Aliso Canyon 115
- Casitas 115
- Santa Paula 113
- Ozena 111
- Moorpark 111
- Newbury Park 110
Santa Barbara County
- Solvang 122 degrees
- Los Prietos 119
- Santa Ynez Airport 117
- Refugio Hills 115
- San Marcos Pass 115
- Gaviota Pass 114
- Mission Creek 113
- Carpinteria Hills 112
- Santa Barbara Botanic Garden 112
- West Cuyama 111
- Montecito Hills 111
- Lompoc Hills 110
- Gaviota Beach 109
- Santa Barbara city 102
San Luis Obispo County
- Arroyo Grande 117 degrees
- Atascadero 115
- Santa Margarita Booster 114
- Las Tablas 114
- Hearst Castle 109
- La Panza 108
- Branch Mountain 105
- Davis Peak 104
Orange County
- Anaheim 105 degrees
- Santa Ana 110
Riverside County
- Palm Springs 120 degrees
- Riverside 117
- Indio 116
Sunday turned out to be even hotter in many areas than Saturday, when more records were broken.
In Woodland Hills, the mercury climbed to 117 degrees by 3 p.m., making it the hottest day ever recorded there in September, breaking the record of 115 set in 1979. Burbank reached 113, tying its monthly record set in 1971. Van Nuys hit 115. Officials said at least three areas on Saturday tied or topped all-time record highs: Alpine (113), El Cajon (114) and Idyllwild (103). The weather service said Burbank appeared to tie an all-time record at 114 degrees.
Climatologist Bill Patzert said Saturday that September heat waves are not new. But the extreme heat — and the duration of heat waves — is new. Over the last century, the average temperature in Los Angeles over the entire year has increased by about 5 degrees, Patzert said.
But the average temperature for the months of August and September has increased by 8 to 9 degrees, he said.
Although one- to two-day heat waves were the norm in the middle of the century, “now we see one-week heat waves,” he said.
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