Labor Day weekend is typically a chance to soak in the last days of summer, a relaxing unofficial end to the warm-weather season.
Read more Billionaire Leon Black skips Epstein deposition and sues House committee over subpoenas
But this is no typical Southern California summer.
Headed to the beach? Be warned of big waves and beach dangers. Going to the mountains? You may want to pack an umbrella.
Hoping for relief from the muggy, humid heat? Sorry, no luck there.
Wild weather is expected for the holiday weekend, so if you’re making big plans, let this be our one big piece of advice: Be prepared.
National Weather Service meteorologist Chandler Price said the chance for precipitation will last from Saturday through early Monday, with Sunday having the biggest potential for rain courtesy of a tropical storm system off the Pacific Ocean.
“It won’t necessarily rain that entire time, it will be in periods,” Price said. “Outdoor activities certainly could be impacted by that.”
It will be warm — not as scorching as last weekend, but similar to this week’s weather. Along the Southern California coast, expect it to be about 80 degrees. Inland Orange County and Los Angeles area temps will be around 85 or 86 degrees on Saturday; more inland areas could be up to about 89 on Sunday. Riverside and the Inland Empire will be about 90 degrees both days.
The San Bernardino mountain region will be a place to keep cool, with temperatures expected to be about 70 degrees through the weekend — and that’s where there’s a greater chance of heavier rain.
Big waves are a concern for people heading to the beach, and there will be potential flooding, Price said, especially Monday when high tides are expected to reach just over 6 feet at about 7 p.m., coinciding with big waves.
“My best piece of advice is to keep an eye on the forecasts,” Price said. “If they are headed to the beach, check the surf forecast, this tropical storm (Marie) just formed so we are still working out the exact track of it out in the Pacific.”
National Weather Service meteorologists said it is more likely than not that Southern California could get some rain from Tropical Storm Marie, which had the potential Wednesday to be upgraded to Hurricane Marie, they said.
Rich Thompson of the weather service’s Oxnard office said meteorologists were projecting about one-tenth to half of an inch of rain on Sunday and Monday, but if the storm’s path goes further north, it could bring a higher impact of rainfall in the forecast.
Sebastian Westerink, a meteorologist in the San Diego office, said it is a 20% to 30% chance the storm turns northward, but even if it does, it’s “not expected to be super strong … it wouldn’t be impactful to the extent of (Tropical Storm) Hilary.”
He said it is slightly more likely than not that Southern California will see some rainfall, which could range from a few light showers to moderate rain.
Headed to the coast?
Beaches across Southern California are the biggest draw during Labor Day weekend, with millions of people expected to flock to the coast from Santa Monica Bay down to San Diego, finding places to put out their towels at every stretch of coastline in between.
Throughout summer, beaches have been battered by big surf, with relentless swells creating dangerous, even deadly, conditions.
For several stretches, lifeguards are warning that this weekend will be another where those inexperienced with the waves and ocean should stay on the sand, especially at south-facing beaches such as Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. L.A. beaches are oriented more west-facing and tend not to get hit straight on by the swells that come up from the south.
“It will definitely be in the ‘dangerous’ category,” said Newport Beach lifeguard Chief Brian O’Rourke. “It’s only really good or advanced-to-expert, professional-level surfers, bodysurfers or bodyboarders (who should get in the water). It looks like it’s going to be dangerous and extreme conditions.”
There’s a south-swell on the horizon that could produce waves in the 5- to 8-foot range through the weekend, even bigger Monday, but also tropical storm Marie, which has potential to grow into a hurricane, could beef the surf up even more.
Tropical systems, however, are harder to predict and the impacts won’t be fully clear until about Thursday, O’Rourke said.
“It’s a little too soon to know. But we’re going to get surf out of it, without a doubt,” he said. “It’s definitely not the week to learn how to surf, maybe watch from afar and please check in with lifeguards.”
The region’s beaches have been busy all summer — just last weekend Newport Beach lifeguards made 425 ocean rescues and took 6,500 “preventative actions” by connecting with beachgoers before an issue could arise. So far this summer, the agency has made more than 4,000 rescues, well surpassing the average 3,000 rescues of a typical summer season even before the holiday weekend is factored in, O’Rourke said.
“We think it is one of the most active summers we can remember in recent history, without a doubt,” O’Rourke said.
Staffing this weekend will be “all hands on deck,” with all towers open. Beachgoers should always ask lifeguards about hazards in the area.
Read more ‘A culture of fear:’ The lingering trauma after ICE detains a loved one
Some areas that will have safer conditions should be just north of the Newport Pier, or the Newport bay beaches protected from swells, O’Rourke said.
While Los Angeles County beaches will have smaller surf at areas such as Redondo Beach, Torrance and Hermosa Beach, south-facing beaches such as Manhattan Beach, Zuma and Malibu will have moderate surf, said Los Angeles County Fire Department Lifeguard spokesman Pono Barnes.
“We’re not going to see the gnarly visuals you’d get from the Wedge in Newport, but what we have is huge beaches and huge parking lots, so we have the human element. There’s just tons of people, there’s just going to be tons of rescues,” he said.
More than a million people headed to the beach in LA County last weekend, with lifeguards performing more than 1,200 ocean rescues and responding to nearly 400 medical emergencies.
Similar conditions — warm weather, swell and big crowds — are expected again this upcoming weekend.
When the surf is huge, it typically keeps people out of the water. But there’s a “sweet spot” when waves are in the 3- to 5-foot range where it’s not big enough to scare people off, Barnes said. And that can be dangerous.
“It’s right in the range that people want to test their limits,” he said. “We have that inland heat, water that’s almost 80 degrees so people want to stay in the water. They are going to be exhausted and hopping into those hazardous conditions,” he said.
One area that will be tricky to access is Point Dume, with a roadway that leads into the beach closed due to erosion, he noted.
Several beaches have suffered severe erosion in recent months with the repeated episodes of big surf. Sand areas have been chipped away at the Wedge, where caution tape and cones are keeping people away from exposed boulders and pipes. Other areas along the Balboa Peninsula and West Newport are also sand-starved, so be mindful that those areas will not only have less beach space, but will be prone to flooding when high tides hit in the early evening hours, O’Rourke noted.
Aliso Beach in south Laguna Beach saw flooding in recent days, prompting the city to close the beach parking lot, though people can still park on the inland side to get to the beach, Marine Safety Chief Kai Bond said.
“We’re expected to see the surf increase over the weekend. My assumption, even if we look at repairs, is it will remain closed,” he said.
Bond said lifeguards are expecting yellow- and red-flag conditions, depending on how tropical storm Marie forms.
“People come to the beach and they assume it’s safe, in reality it can be very dangerous. When we have a holiday weekend with warm weather and forecasted swell, those are all the elements that potentially can create a dangerous situation,” Bond said.
Beachgoers should stay clear of rocky areas, check in with lifeguards, swim in front of a lifeguard and know their ability, he noted. “The ocean is not always safe and with this swell, there could be some issues if you are unrealistic about what you can do.”
Other areas of Laguna Beach’s 8 miles of coast have suffered through relentless waves chomping away at the sand supply, with Brooks Street to Thalia Street covered with rock, rather than sand, Bond said. Main Beach has a lot of sand space to the north, but less to the south, he added.
Staying inland?
There are plenty of fun activities happening away from the ocean, and of course getting a group of friends together to barbecue in a backyard or at a park is always an option.
Want to be close to the beach breeze, but not near the surf? Check out Hermosa Beach’s annual Fiesta Hermosa, Saturday through Monday, one of Southern California’s largest free beachside arts and crafts festivals, or head to the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort & Marina for a weekend filled with live entertainment, food trucks and family friendly activities such as an inflatable water park.
If you can handle the mid-80s temp, head inland to the Orange International Street Fair, a free event Friday through Sunday, that brings together a wide variety of food and music from cultures and ethnicities around the world.
There are two big rodeos happening in the region. The Norco Fair, Friday through Monday, will have a rodeo and bull-riding event, music, food and vendors, plus carnival rides. A high of 90 is expected on Saturday with slightly cooler days Friday and Sunday before a wamer Monday.
The Big Bear Rodeo and Carnival is an inaugural event, and it will happen rain or shine, according to Big Bear Guide. The weekend opens with a carnival on Friday, which includes a concert by Brian Gaylord, local country singer and professional cowboy. Rodeo activities will be Saturday and Sunday.
A planned drone show at Big Bear Lake will go on even if there is light rain, but would be postponed if heavy rain shows up.
“It looks like a game-time decision,” said Dan McKernan, founder of Big Bear Guide.
Read more Trump’s plan for a fence at Lafayette Park near White House gets review by federal panel
Staff Writer Nathan Percy contributed to this report.