Following a week of heavy downpours that caused flooding across parts of the city, Los Angeles is now grappling with abnormally hot conditions for the end of February.
During the day Friday, the thermometer reached 91°F (33°C) in central LA, as reported by weather officials. This exceeds the old record for February 27th, which was 31 degrees Celsius (88 Fahrenheit) and was recorded just last year.
"Very warm conditions" were noted on official charts for the region.
Forecasters issued a warning that Friday's conditions posed an "increased danger for heat illness" for people sensitive to heat. Their guidance included:
This dramatic increase in mercury follows closely after a powerful winter storm that battered the state earlier in the week. That system delivered heavy snow, strong winds, and thunderstorms to the mountains, triggering flash flood warnings for millions residents.
Sadly, the conditions also caused a deadly avalanche in the Lake Tahoe area, which resulted in nine fatalities.
Forecasters predict some relief is coming. Temperatures were expected to decrease to around 61°F (16°C) in central Los Angeles by late Friday.
Additional areas that experienced the 90-degree mark featured Burbank, Woodland Hills, and Long Beach. Elsewhere, Westwood, Camarillo, Santa Maria, and Oxnard were projected to reach the upper eighties.
For the weekend, central LA can anticipate temperatures in the 80s, with a further cooldown expected for the start of March.