**Cooler weather expected by mid-week***

 

***Windy and dry across the deserts during the afternoon and evening hours through Tuesday***

High pressure over the Desert Southwest will weaken as a trough moves across the Pacific Northwest and Northern California during the next few days. While temperatures will start to lower in some areas today, it will still be very hot and dry across many of the inland valleys with afternoon highs near 105. The mountains will see temperatures in the upper 80s to upper 90s, while the lower and eastern deserts will be near 117. Onshore flow will strengthen over the area with strong and gusty westerly winds developing across the deserts and adjacent mountains during the afternoon and evening hours. The strongest winds will be across the Mojave Desert and along the eastern slopes of the Cleveland and San Bernardino National Forests where sustained speeds will be in the 20-30 mph range.

Humidity values will once again drop into the single digits and teens across the mountains and deserts. After today, it should turn noticeably cooler and more humid with high temperatures dropping to near normal levels by mid-week, however less cooling will occur across the eastern deserts. The marine layer will begin to deepen along the coast with night and morning low clouds and fog spreading into the coastal valleys by Wednesday. Strong westerly winds will continue across the desert areas each afternoon and evening through mid-week before diminishing Thursday and Friday. After temperatures bottom out on Wednesday, a slight warming trend will begin, but temperatures should remain near normal over most of the area through next weekend.