L.A.’s first big warm-up of spring could bring highs near 90 by Saturday

After cool, dry weather through Monday, then a slight chance of showers Monday afternoon, dry and much warmer conditions are on tap Tuesday through Saturday, the National Weather Service said.

Gusty north to northwest winds will affect portions of the area from Monday night through the end of the week, and the extended outlook for precipitation is normal in Southern California, and below normal in Northern California.

In downtown Los Angeles, for example, normal for the month of April is 0.91 inch of rain. But more than three times that much has already fallen this month, putting L.A. at 105% of normal for the season since Oct. 1. Chances of moisture typically diminish as the spring season wears on. Rainfall in most of Northern California remains well below normal.

The extended outlook also calls for above-normal temperatures for the West Coast from April 24 to 28, especially in California.

Temperatures will be lower than normal Sunday and Monday, then jump to several degrees above normal Tuesday, the weather service said. The warmest valleys and inland coastal areas will go from the mid- to upper-60s on Sunday to the mid-70s on Tuesday.

Gusty northwest to north winds Monday night into Tuesday are expected to kick up in the mountains and on the south coast of Santa Barbara County as well as the L.A. and Ventura County mountains and through the Interstate 5 corridor. Advisory-level winds are likely every night from Tuesday through Friday in these wind-prone areas. There may even be advisory-level gusts Thursday night in the valleys of L.A. and Ventura counties and in the Santa Monica Mountains.

High temperatures will be as much as 10 degrees above normal on Wednesday, and up to 15 degrees above normal by Saturday. That translates to the lower 80s on Wednesday, rising to the mid-80s to near 90 by Saturday.