Forget hot beverages and fall sweaters, this autumn in Southern California has been marked by what feels like a continuation of summer.
The extreme heat is driven by a persistent high-pressure ridge that has parked over the region, causing sinking warming air with very little overnight relief. That is paired with down-sloping winds and uncharacteristically warm ocean temperatures — driven in part by an El Niño that has reduced Southern California’s sea breeze, frequently known as its natural air conditioning.
The Southland has experienced hot Octobers in the past, but if this feels different, it’s because it is, according to climate experts…