An excessive heat warning is in place for the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys for Saturday and Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

“Interior valleys and mountains will see the hottest temperatures in this summer’s first heatwave,” NWS said. 

Saturday and Sunday are set to be the hottest, as the hot air mass that recently settled over SoCal is not forecast to move completely out of the region until Wednesday or Thursday. 

Skies are expected to remain clear from Saturday through the beginning of the week, and the weather for July 4 is forecast to be sunny after the morning clouds burn off. Coastal fireworks may likely be limited by clouds in the evening, NWS said. 

The rise in temperatures follows an unseasonably cold June; according to the National Weather Service, the high temperature failed to reach or exceed 80 degrees during the months of May and June since records started being kept in 1877. 

During those two months, high temperatures in DTLA ranged from 65 degrees on May 2 to 79 degrees on June 17 and June 21. Since the beginning of 2023, temperatures have cracked 80 degrees in DTLA just four times, which also broke the record for the least number of days above 80 degrees through the first half of a year. 

In comparison, the average number of days with highs of 80 degrees or higher from January 1 to June 30 is 32 days.