Southern California will have a bright Christmas – mostly sunny skies and high surf beginning on Saturday, Dec. 21, forecasters say.
In Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties, temperatures will remain in the low to mid-70s with partly cloudy skies this weekend, then drop into the high 60s starting on Monday. San Bernardino County should stay in the low 70s throughout the week until sharply descending to a high of 64 on Christmas Day, according to National Weather Service meteorologists.
Los Angeles County has a 50% chance of rain on Christmas Eve after 10 a.m., but the chance of showers remains slight in Orange County and Riverside County. San Bernardino County has a 30% chance of showers after 4 p.m.
High surf warnings have been issued for over the weekend and will continue through the week. Orange County beaches will see 5-8-foot waves, and some potentially up to 11 feet. Forecasters say 7- to 10-foot waves are expected on north to west-facing beaches in Los Angeles County.
Strong rip currents also are foreseen, and the high surf could lead to some flooding. The most likely timing for that would be Monday and Tuesday.
No snow is in the forecast for the local mountains.