SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — We're seeing dangerous heat in parts of the county, and the National Weather Service predicts we may see an abnormally hot summer.
The first heat wave of the year is bringing the deserts up to 110 degrees, and triggering an excessive heat warning until Friday night.
"You don't just need extra water, you need to avoid those peak hours of those temperatures," said Alex Tardy, a Meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
This week's warm-up is only the beginning. New predictions from the National Weather Service say we're expecting more heat than normal, and it could last for months.
"That means more heat waves, more days over 100," said Tardy. "Maybe days where it's record-breaking."
The heat is expected to be most severe in parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. But that above-average heat is still expected to reach us for this month, plus July and August.
"It really looks like the weather pattern, or what we call the heat dome, is gonna be focused over the Great Basin: Utah, Arizona, Texas," said Tardy. "That means our mountains and deserts getting more than the share that they want of excessive heat."
As for the coast, thank the June gloom for blocking some of that heat and keeping us cool. But that doesn't mean San Diego is off the hook, because heat waves later in the summer tend to bring Santa Ana winds.
"Which pushes the marine clouds, blocks the sea breeze, then the coast gets just as hot as everywhere else," said Tardy.
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And after two wet winters in a row, Tardy says the biggest risks of the hot summer come from all the new vegetation around the county.
"We have a lot of grass, weeds, flowers that were pretty in April and part of May. They're curing out, meaning they're drying out. They're dying off," said Tardy. "They set the stage for if there's ignition, wildfires."
The National Weather Service says now is the time to create defensible space around your home to prevent fires. If you want more tips, check out CalFire's guide for wildfire season.
