June 21--The high-pressure system of warm, dry air that pushed temperatures into the triple digits in Southern California will begin to drift away beginning Monday, bringing a dip in heat to the area.
The strong high-pressure system is expected to keep temperatures in the 100s in the Antelope Valley and in the high 90s in parts of the San Fernando Valley on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
The Los Angeles area can expect temperatures in the mid- to high 80s on Sunday.
But beginning Monday, there will be a gradual cooling. The Los Angeles area will see temperatures in the high 70s, and desert temperatures will fall into the 90s by midweek, said weather specialist Stuart Seto.
The cooler temperatures will bring some relief to 1,900 firefighters battling the Lake fire in the San Bernardino Mountains south of Big Bear.
The wildfire, which began Wednesday, has scorched more than 16,000 acres of timber in the San Bernardino National Forest. Several hundred people were forced to evacuate campsites and vacation homes.
The fire burned into dry rugged terrain that had not seen a fire this large more than a century, officials said. The forest is particularly vulnerable to fire because of a a bark beetle infestation that has left dead trees throughout the forest.
The fire was 15% contained Sunday morning.
About 500 homes and other structures are threatened by the fire, but there have been no reports of structural damage. Heavy smoke has prompted air quality warnings in the area.
