Temperatures to challenge daily record highs across California through Friday

In what has already been a lackluster winter season across much of California, a warm and dry forecast to end the month will only add to the expanding drought concerns across the state.

An expansive area of high pressure that has settled over the Great Basin will act as the driving force of the warm conditions. A clockwise flow around the area of high pressure will result in gusty offshore winds in Southern California through Thursday morning.

Record-challenging high temperatures are possible on Thursday and/or Friday from San Francisco and Sacramento to Fresno, Los Angeles and San Diego.

Los Angeles and surrounding communities in the coastal valleys will likely have temperatures surge well into the 80s as an offshore breeze will continue to bring a warm and dry air down to the coast.

Normally in the month of February, the threat for wildfires is at its lowest point throughout the entire year. In a typical winter, there is usually a consistent train of storm systems bringing enough moisture into the region to minimize the fire threat.

However, that is not the case this year as many cities across Southern California have only recorded a fraction of rainfall compared to average.

The offshore wind will also help to keep any coastal low clouds out to sea, allowing coastal communities to warm up well above average.

The area of high pressure over the Great Basin will begin to track eastward by Friday, bringing an end to the gusty offshore breeze. A storm system well off the California coastline will also begin to streak high clouds into the West Coast.

Temperatures will begin to trend closer back to average by this weekend in Southern California as the wind shifts out of the west, bringing cooler air in from the Pacific Ocean.

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