Photo by Craig Weston
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
Following a heatwave that arrived ahead of Labor Day weekend and extended into the week after, rain fell in Pacific Palisades on Friday and Saturday—topping off an uncommon weather pattern for the area.
An excessive heat warning that had been in effect for the holiday weekend was extended through Friday, September 9, at 8 p.m. Coinciding with the warning came a wind advisory, which was in effect until 11 p.m. Friday for Ventura County beaches/Malibu coast, including Pacific Palisades, Oxnard, Point Mugu, Zuma Beach and other areas.
“For the excessive heat warning, dangerously hot conditions with temperatures in the upper 80s to around 100 expected,” according to the alert. “For the wind advisory, southeast winds 15 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph expected. Local gusts to 50 mph are possible.”
Beginning on Friday, September 9, Hurricane Kay brought rain and wind to Southern California, extending into Saturday, September 10, local weather authority Craig Weston, who tracks temperature and rainfall in Pacific Palisades, explained.
“Though some areas of San Diego County received upward of five inches of rain,” Weston continued, “the Palisades received just .33 inches.”
On Friday, September 9, the Palisades reached 99 degrees, with wind gusts up to 15 mph in the Huntington, Weston shared.
“Kay marked the closest approach to Southern California from the Pacific Ocean of a tropical storm in the last 50 years,” Weston wrote.
Due to the rain, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued an ocean water use warning for all beaches in the county through Tuesday, September 13, at 10:30 a.m.
“The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautions residents who are planning to visit Los Angeles County beaches to be careful of swimming, surfing and playing in ocean waters due to possible contamination caused by storm drain discharge,” according to a statement from Public Health. “Ocean and bay recreational waters, especially near discharging storm drains, creeks and rivers, can be contaminated with bacteria, chemicals, debris, trash and other public health hazards from city streets and mountain areas after a rain fall.”
A series of alerts issued by the California Independent System Operator in response to high temperatures so residents across the state could voluntarily conserve energy to reduce stress on the grid concluded on Tuesday, September 7, at 9 p.m.
Between the hours of 4 and 9 p.m., residents were encouraged, health permitting, to set thermostats to 78 degrees and higher, avoid using major appliances and charging electric vehicles, and turning off all unnecessary lights.
Over the course of Labor Day weekend, the Palisades’ highest temperature reading occurred on September 4 at 9:10 a.m. when it was 101 degrees—two degrees higher than what Weston recorded the following weekend.
“This temperature also represents the high for 2022 in Pacific Palisades,” Weston said. “Of course, these readings cannot match July 6, 2018, when we saw a sizzling 107-degree day.”
High temperatures for the upcoming week, as the Palisadian-Post went to print Tuesday, were predicted to be in the 70s: 73 on Thursday, September 15; 77 on Friday, September 16; 76 on Saturday, September 17; and 73 on Sunday, September 18. Lows were expected to be in the lower 60s and upper 50s, from 59 to 60 degrees.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
