Indian Summer to Stick Around Through the Weekend

A post-summer heat wave is sending temperatures soaring again Friday and and is expected to remain high throughout the weekend in Riverside County, including in the Coachella Valley.

On Thursday, a high temperature of 108 degrees in Thermal tied a record set in 1982. National Weather Service forecasters said a heat-amplifying high-pressure system would push temperatures 7 to 15 degrees above seasonal averages Friday.

“High pressure over the Southwest will bring very warm weather through this weekend,” according to the weather service.

Mostly sunny skies are forecast Friday along with highs of 98 to 103 degrees in the valleys around Riverside, 91 to 96 degrees in the mountains and 103 to 108 along the San Gorgonio Pass and 106 to 111 degrees in the Coachella Valley. No high heat advisories have been issued.

“Temps will lower by a couple degrees Saturday as the upper ridge weakens slightly,” according to the weather service.

On Saturday, forecasters predicted highs would be 96 to 101 degrees in the valleys, 87 to 93 degrees in the mountains and 101 to 106 along the San Gorgonio Pass and 102 to 107 degrees in the Coachella Valley.

A slow cooling trend is expected to begin next week as a weak low-pressure system builds over the region, forecasters said.

--City News Service, photo via Shutterstock