Spring is just getting started, but parts of California and the West are already flirting with summer-level heat as an early-season warm spell intensifies through Friday.
Meanwhile, the Bay Area will largely be spared that heat : Temperatures in most places will rise just a few degrees above normal.
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Within California, the most intense heat will be confined to the interior of Southern California, where temperatures are expected to surge up to 20 degrees above seasonal norms. On Thursday and Friday, highs will soar into the triple digits across the Coachella Valley, including Palm Springs, where afternoon temperatures will top 100 degrees.
The greater Los Angeles and San Diego areas will also feel the early-spring sizzle. Places like Ontario, San Bernardino and Redlands will see highs jump into the low 90s on both days. Even coastal adjacent areas won’t be spared, with places like Anaheim and downtown Los Angeles forecast to reach the mid- to upper 80s…