Flex Alert In Place Friday Night As Heat Wave Roils SoCal
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – A second Flex Alert will be in effect Friday evening as the Southland continues to contend with triple-digit temperatures and the strong risk of wildfires.
The California Independent Systems Operator, the independent, nonprofit agency that oversees the state's power grid, has issued a Flex Alert from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday.
A Flex Alert is designed to reduce stress on the power grid. During that time, residents are voluntarily urged to avoid using major appliances, turn off any unnecessary lights, set their thermostats to 78 degrees or higher and use fans for cooling.
A Flex Alert was in effect Thursday evening. Cal ISO reported that the state avoided any blackouts and the grid remained stable.
Last year, heat waves sparked rolling blackouts in California for the first time since 2001, and helped contribute to the spread of a historic number of wildfires up and down the state which destroyed thousands of homes and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate.
RELATED: What Is A Flex Alert?
On Thursday, the region dealt with a strange blend of heat, humidity and thunderstorms. CBSLA Meteorologist Amber Lee said there is a chance of more isolated thunderstorms Friday.
According to the National Weather Service, a record high temperature of 111 degrees was set in Lancaster Thursday, breaking the old record of 105 set in 1961 and 2017.
Although the high pressure system that has been turning up the heat peaked on Wednesday, it "will remain relatively strong through the weekend, with hot and dry conditions across our interior valleys, mountains and deserts, including the warmer coastal valleys," according to the NWS.
An excessive heat warning will be in place in the L.A. County mountains, excluding the Santa Monica range, and the Antelope Valley until 9 p.m. Saturday, promising highs from 110 to 113.
A less-severe heat advisory was in effect for the Santa Clarita Valley until 9 p.m. Friday.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
