Decreasing temperatures and hazardous winds are expected to affect inland areas of Southern California early in the week before a brief heat wave is expected to reheat the region by the middle of the week, meteorologists said Sunday, June 12.

On Sunday, a low-pressure trough began to work its way into the region that brought a slight decrease in temperatures after a record-breaking heat wave days prior. By Monday, June 13, many inland areas of Southern California can expect a five to 10 degree reduction in temperature, according to the National Weather Service.

Variably strong wind gusts in desert and mountain areas of San Bernardino and Riverside counties Sunday prompted a wind advisory to be put in place from 5 p.m. Sunday until 10 p.m. Monday, June 13, the NWS said. Gusts between 20 and 40 mph had been recorded in the San Bernardino County mountains as of Sunday afternoon, said Mark Moede, meteorologist with the NWS.

By 4 p.m. Sunday, the Sheep fire near Wrightwood in the Angeles National Forest had ballooned to 775 acres thanks to the gusty conditions, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Moede said the “chaotic and gusty” winds Sunday made him concerned the fire could become “a problem.”

“The fire can create its own wind and weather to further complicate things,” Moede said. “(Fire crews) are going to have to get through the afternoon and evening before hopefully these winds start to die down.”

Be extra careful with anything that can start a fire. Plants are drying rapidly, the air is warm and dry, and winds are blowing in some areas. Fire season is upon us. Elevated to brief critical fire danger will continue through at least Thursday. #cawx pic.twitter.com/qlOwvp59yU

— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) June 12, 2022

Critical fire weather conditions were expected for much of Los Angeles County Monday through Thursday of this week, the NWS said.

Mild temperatures and a prominent marine layer were expected to persist along the coast throughout the week, the NWS said.

By Wednesday, June 15, a slightly more mild heat wave is expected to warm the region, with high temperatures expected to fall a few degrees below the record-breaking marks set last Friday and Saturday, Moede said. The heat is expected to persist through Thursday, June 16, before potentially dropping to below seasonal average marks on Saturday, June 18, Moede said.

With monsoon season generally kicking off around mid-June, Moede said that a trend of recently increased monsoonal moisture over inland mountains and deserts could peak the  weekend of June 18-19. However, he said any precipitation from the moisture would likely be a small amount.

“We can expect the surges of monsoonal moisture to be later in the month,” he said.

On Saturday, Idyllwild broke its 1979 daily high temperature record of 90 degrees by one degree, the NWS said.

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