Heat Wave To Scorch Elsinore; 'Way Above Average' Temps Forecast

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Get ready, Lake Elsinore and Wildomar. The heat's about to climb here in Riverside County. And though we're not into the summer's triple-digit heat yet, temperatures are expected to be between 15 and 20 degrees above average in parts of the region. The early-spring heat wave is expected to ratchet temperatures up into the mid 90s in many places, forecasters said.

Temperatures in Riverside could reach 95 degrees Monday, which would be 21 degrees above the average temperature for the date, the National Weather Service said. Temperatures are forecast to reach 93 in Temecula, which would be 19 degrees above average. Lake Elsinore is expected to get up to 91 degrees — 15 degrees above average. And over in Hemet, residents may also feel a 15-degree record, with temperatures expected to hit 91.

In the Coachella Valley, temperatures Monday are expected to reach the mid to high 90s, which would be about 10 to 15 degrees above average for this time of the year, the NWS said.

A high-pressure system is causing the heat and is expected to be accompanied by gusty winds and clear, sunny skies, forecasters said.

"The high pressure aloft combined with the offshore flow will bring warmer weather today with greatest warming for coastal and valley areas with high temperatures in portions of the western Inland Empire
and inland Orange County reaching the mid 90s today," the National Weather Service said in its forecast discussion.

Although temperatures along the coast are expected to drop significantly on Tuesday as cool air moves in from over the ocean, that cooling is not expected to reach Riverside County until later in the week, the NWS said.

Fair weather with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 80s are expected for Friday, the first day of the 2018 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio. High temperatures in the Coachella Valley for the festival will be 83 on Friday, 88 on Saturday and 89 to 94 on Sunday.

Here's what Lake Elsinore residents can expect weather-wise for the rest of the work week, according to the NWS:

Monday
Sunny, with a high near 91. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable.

Monday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 60. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Light and variable wind becoming southwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Tuesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 57. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable in the evening.

Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 80. Light and variable wind becoming southwest 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 49.

Thursday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 69.

Thursday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 47.

Friday
Sunny, with a high near 80.

Friday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 51.

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