We are entering August, which means the dog days of summer are ahead. That is another way of saying we are diving into the warmest stretch of summer. 

What You Need To Know

  • Expect a hot first few days of August, compared to seasonable averages

  • The Climate Prediction Center is calling for a 40-50 percent chance of warmer than average temperatures for the remainder of August

  • In general, August is the warmest month of the year for most of Southern California

  • Southern California cities experience the warmest summer temperatures late in the season compared to other portions of the country

A ridge of high pressure will expand over the Southwest the next several days, leading to a big warm up, especially for inland cities. This will drive temperatures five-15 degrees above average, with the potential to break records through the Orange County Basin, the Inland Empire, and the Low Desert.

The peak of our current heatwave will take place on July 31st and August 1st. Talk about a scorching hot start to the new month! 

On top of that, the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) is calling for a 40-50 percent chance of warmer than average temperatures across most of California for the remainder of the month. 

One month temperature outlook points to above average temperatures through August. (Courtesy: NOAA Climate Prediction Center)

Typically, the hottest time of the year in California is July through September. Out of these months, August is the warmest for most Southern California cities based on the average high temperatures.

While August is already the warmest month of the year, now add in these above average temperatures, and you get a recipe for dangerous heat. Brace yourself for the next several weeks, where it may be necessary to find ways to beat the heat, assuming the CPC temperature outlook plays out as expected.

33-50 percent chance of above average temperatures from August 3-7. (Courtesy: NOAA Climate Prediction Center)

 

33-40 percent chance of above average temperatures from August 5-11. (Courtesy: NOAA Climate Prediction Center)

According to climatologist Brian Brettschneider, “August is the climatological warmest month of the year for the areas in dark red.”

As you can see below, most of Southern California falls under that category, along with portions of the Pacific Northwest, Texas, Louisiana and Florida.

In contrast, the rest of California, along with the majority of the country, experiences their warmest month of the year in July.

Courtesy: Climatologist Brian Brettschneider

To break it down even more for Southern California, the climatological peak of summer temperatures usually takes place between August 1st through 5th for inland cities, and after August 5th for cities closer to the coast. This means we usually see our warmest summer temperatures late in the season compared to other parts of the country.

Courtesy: Climatologist Brian Brettschneider

Based on this image, the warmest temperatures for the region are yet to come. 

Climate Data

Now let’s dive deeper into climate data so you understand how hot August usually is for Southern California cities.

Below is a list of local cities and their average monthly high temperatures for August, based on the record period from 1981-2010:

Santa Barbara - 74.4º F

Woodland Hills - 97.1º F

Burbank - 88.1º F

Lancaster - 97.5º F

Downtown Los Angeles - 84.4º F

Culver City - 78.6º F

LAX - 74.9º F

Torrance - 77.8º F

Long Beach - 83.8º F

Pasadena - 91.1º F

Pomona - 91.5º F

Big Bear Lake - 79.8º F

Fullerton - 85.4º F

Santa Ana - 80.0º F

Newport Beach - 72.2º F

Laguna Beach - 80.1º F

Carlsbad - 75.0º F

Oceanside - 76.9º F

Ontario - 93.6º F

Riverside - 94.3º F

Palm Springs - 106.1º F