L.A. heat wave will spike Saturday; fire danger heightened

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With early afternoon temperature in the mid-90s, golfers at Chester Washington Golf Course in Hawthorne carry umbrellas and ice water to beat the heat. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

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Jose Castillo, 14, skateboards through the Santa Ana Civic Center on his way to school Friday morning. High temperatures and a red flag warning denoting heightened fire danger will be in effect in the Southland. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Beads of perspiration dot the face of a man who only goes by the name Andy as he sprinkles water on his lawn in his South Central Los Angeles neighborhood. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

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Beachgoers cool off in the surf at Hermosa Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Betty Jurdi, 73, shades herself with an umbrella while waiting for a bus in Woodland Hills. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

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Maria Perez, 72, shields herself from the afternoon sun while walking along Mott Street in Boyle Heights. The extended forecast calls for high temperatures and Santa Ana winds. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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The sun rises over Point Fermin as the Southland heads into what is expected to be a hot weekend. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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The sun bakes the parking lot at Alemany High School where attendants were helping guide people to park for Thursday night’s game against Chaminade. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

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A jogger struggles on a path around the Evergreen Cemetery despite high temperatures. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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Maria Torres, left, and her son Anthony Morales, 10, shield themselves from the sun while waiting for the light to change at Mott and 4th Streets in the Boyle Heights. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

By Matt Stevens

Oct. 4, 2014 9:10 AM PT

Saturday is going to be the hottest day of Southern California’s heat wave, with temperatures passing 100 degrees in some areas and rising to the 90s even in some coastal locations.

A slight cooling trend is set for Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

The spike in temperatures comes during what is usually the beginning of the Santa Ana season, when gusting winds can dry out already desiccated vegetation and whip small fires into monsters. There were several small brush fires reported Friday.

“This is not a good preview of coming attractions,” said William Patzert, a climatologist for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge. “Triple-digit temperature, single-digit humidity and gusty breezes — that’s a formula for misery and fires.”

If there’s an upside, it’s that this weekend’s winds will not be too strong, said Patzert, calling them “Santa Ana Lite.” But they’re strong enough to play a starring role in the Southland heat wave.

A high-pressure system combined with weak Santa Ana winds has generated the hot weather, said Stuart Seto of the National Weather Service. The winds sink as they blow through the mountains, then compress and warm up as they move toward the coast, he said. So in addition to heating the area, the winds block the sea breezes that usually cool coastal communities.

L.A. heat wave will spike Saturday; fire danger heightened

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