Winter, where? Southern California is bracing for a stretch of hot, dry weather and heat advisories that begin Thursday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Heat Advisory spanning most of our region, in effect from 10 a.m. Thursday to 8 p.m. Friday. Temperatures could reach between 90 and 100 degrees.
“It’s going to feel like summer in the coming days,” said NBC Los Angeles meteorologist Belen De Leon.
The Los Angeles County Heat Advisory spans the inland coast, downtown Los Angeles, Orange County coastal and inland areas, the Inland Empire’s San Bernardino and Riverside County valleys, the Malibu coast, and Ventura County beaches.
The Heat Advisory impacts these local cities:
Compton
Malibu Lake
Newbury Park
Long Beach
East Los Angeles
La Canada Flintridge
Lake Castaic
Oak View
Meiners Oaks
Camarillo
Van Nuys
Woodland Hills
Chatsworth
Pasadena
San Gabriel
Pacific Palisades
Downey
Universal City
Hollywood
Fillmore
Sunland
Valencia
Santa Monica
Northridge
Malibu Bowl
Newhall
Redondo Beach
Los Angeles International Airport
Topanga
Oxnard
Simi Valley
Culver City
Rancho Palos Verdes
Oat Mountain
East Ventura
Ojai
Port Hueneme
Burbank
Thousand Oaks
Piru
Westlake Village
Ventura
El Monte
Glendale
Point Mugu
Moorpark
Santa Paula
Beverly Hills
Santa Clarita
Norwalk
Malibu
Torrance
Pomona
According to De Leon, the peak heat on Thursday and Friday has the potential to break records.
“We’re not strangers to the heat in Southern California, but this is above where we should be for this time of year,” De Leon explained in her First Alert Forecast on Wednesday morning.
On average, De Leon said Downtown LA’s first 90-degree day is on or around May 8, while its first 100-degree day is typically on or around Aug. 10. This week’s heat is 2-5 months earlier than those averages.
The earliest 90-degree day on record for DTLA was on Jan. 8, 1923, while the earliest 100-degree day on record for DTLA was on April 4, 1989.
“Early heat has happened before, but it’s rare,” De Leon added.
It’s not a super bloom yet, but visitors are spot the flowers along the 15 Freeway. Christian Cázares reports for the NBC4 News at 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026.
The last time temps reached above 90 degrees in downtown LA was a few weeks ago, on Feb. 27, when the high hit 91 degrees. Meanwhile, the last time temps soared above 100 degrees in DTLA was on Sept. 9, 2024, when DTLA hit 105 degrees.
These temps are expected on Thursday:
Downtown LA: 96 degrees
Thousand Oaks: 91 degrees
Santa Ana: 95 degrees
Corona: 94 degrees
Those temperatures are 11 to 16 degrees higher than Wednesday’s temps across those communities, so residents will certainly feel the spike.
Heat records are possible
According to De Leon, Thursday’s scorching temps could break records across several SoCal communities that were set 19 years ago:
Riverside: A high of 94 is expected Thursday; the record is 95 degrees, set in 2007.
Fullerton: A high of 96 is expected Thursday; the record is 95 degrees, set in 2007.
Long Beach: A high of 90 is expected Thursday; the record is 92 degrees, set in 2007.
Burbank: A high of 94 is expected Thursday; the record is 93 degrees, set in 2007
What’s next?
According to NBCLA’s First Alert Forecast, the warming trend will continue. Although temps across Los Angeles will be slightly cooler this weekend, temps could reach the 90s again next week.
“We’re headed for a prolonged period of hot and dry weather,” De Leon added.