SoCal cooks under midwinter heat as ridge holds on through Super Bowl week

A midwinter heat wave grips much of California as a persistent high-pressure ridge stretches from the San Francisco Bay Area to Alaska, pushing temperatures about 15–20 degrees above normal through the week and likely into Super Bowl Sunday. Inland areas could reach near 90 F, the Bay Area mid-to-upper 80s, with Santa Ana winds gusting up to 50 mph in the mountains. Light rain and cooler air may appear next week, while overall wildfire risk remains low thanks to lingering moisture, though small fires are still possible.