Southern California's humidity set to return to normal as heat wave ramps down, forecasters say

Southern California's unusual spell of high humidity is set to step aside by the weekend as it kicks off a three-day cooling trend, putting an end to an uncomfortable heat wave.

According to the National Weather Service, the "sticky tropical air" was set to leave the region by the weekend after several days of humidity created an unusually high heat index, or "feels like" temperature, across Southern California.

"We have been very un-Southern California-like the past couple of days," said CBS LA Chief Meteorologist Paul Deanno. "Humidity is going to be a little slower to go away ... the heat, triple digits, that's going away [Friday]."

Friday was expected to be the final day with abnormal humidity, while the air temperature begins a gradual descent.

An NWS Heat Advisory remains in place for parts of Los Angeles and Orange counties through Friday evening, as well as the Inland Empire. High temperatures were predicted to remain between 85 and 95 degrees for most of LA and OC, and between the mid-90s and lower triple digits in the I.E.

Saturday will see a drop of a few degrees in each area, and more temperature decreases will get Southern California to below-average temperatures.

"[Saturday] will be even cooler than [Friday], Sunday will be cooler than Saturday; Monday and Tuesday will be cooler than what we get over the weekend," Deanno said. "We will be several degrees cooler than average by the beginning to middle of next week."