This article was originally published by LAist on Aug. 13, 2026.
Southern California is getting a dose of unseasonably cool weather — a welcome break after a series of hot, humid heat waves over the last few months.
Lower than normal temperatures are expected to stick around through the weekend.
Highs along the coast will be in the 70s over the next few days. Inland areas of LA and Orange counties will get up to the 80s. Even the Inland Empire is expected to peak at about 90 degrees on Friday.
The cooler temperatures are also expected to come with cloudy skies across the region.
The cloud cover will likely be widespread on Friday and much of Saturday, but concentrated mostly in the morning hours and along the coast, where skies could stay cloudy through the afternoon.
The cool, mild conditions won’t last long, though.
Forecasters say temperatures will start to tick back up on Saturday. They will stay below normal seasonal levels for a few days, but the summer heat will be back by the middle of next week.
So this weekend might be a good time to go on a hike or host that barbecue.
Low pressure equals mild temperatures
The cool weather is a pretty stark change.
Just a few weeks ago, the National Weather Service was issuing warnings across Southern California for extreme heat and predicting nearly record-breaking temperatures. Now, atmospheric conditions have shifted.
Much of that suffocating heat was driven by a massive system of high pressure air hovering over the Southwestern U.S.
High pressure systems trap warm air beneath them and compress it, further warming the air and preventing cooler air from displacing it.
This week, the high pressure system finally loosened its grip.
“That ridge of high pressure kind of broke down, and then a trough of low pressure developed off and along the coast of California,” said Devin Black, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
Low pressure systems force air to rise, and as air rises it cools. It also eventually condenses, often forming cloud cover.
That’s one reason behind the clouds in Southern California this week.
Meanwhile, a deep marine layer and onshore winds are helping push those clouds farther inland. Forecasters note that the low pressure system and onshore winds are also keeping humidity levels up.
Despite the cloud cover and moisture, it’s unlikely there will be much, if any, rain. Some minimal precipitation could be possible in Ventura and Santa Barbara county mountains.
The low pressure system and marine layer will start to shrink on Saturday, allowing heat-generating high pressure to move back into the region.