Cooler temperatures — and maybe some showers — headed to SoCal this weekend. But when it comes to extreme weather, you can’t swing a dead cat and a weatherman can’t read the sky.
The National Weather Service has issued a special edition of its Thursday evening storm report for Ventura County, the third largest in the area and a place where the sun shines brightly in mid-July.
The special edition forecast includes a briefer text and a handful of updates, particularly for hot spots such as downtown Los Angeles.
But as always, the NWS stresses the importance of extreme weather preparedness.
With no more record-setting heat or record-breaking rainfall, the county’s weather pattern is expected to settle into a generally cool pattern, with scattered showers and thunderstorms.
But when the temperature drops, look out for more clouds and maybe even a few thunderstorms.
The NWS forecast call for the coolest weekend in 2013 with a high of 78 degrees — in the middle of the 95-degree range for July.
“Although the temperatures are expected to reach into the upper 80s later in the weekend, temperatures in the 90s are more likely for a second week in a row,” NWS forecast meteorologist Mike Taylor said in the special forecast.
“This is still way below the average temperatures for July and will likely remain that way until later this season.”
The heat will feel even hotter on a sultry summer night when temperatures at night will reach the upper 90s, with a high near 93 degrees.
Taylor also reminded people that the NWS is watching for possible lightning, particularly in the hills of Ventura, which will be more active during the evening hours when lightning is most likely.
“The hot spot of the afternoon is likely to become a potential flashpoint near noon for the region, especially around the Ventura/Los Angeles County line,” Taylor said.
The heat will be felt all throughout the day.
Afternoon highs will hover just above 90 degrees in Ventura County until early evening. Then temperatures will rise into the 90s as evening falls, reaching a high near 93 degrees by late Sunday night.
For the rest of the weekend, afternoon highs will settle in around
