The typical traditions of the July 4 holiday weekend unfolded under a stark reminder of the season, as beachgoers were burnt by rising temperatures that are expected to continue.
From July 5 through July 7, Santa Monica experienced its first three-day stretch of temperatures 75 degrees Fahrenheit or above in 2024, a result of a gradual warmth that began at the end of June. Max temperatures reached 76 on July 5, 78 on July 6 and 75 on July 7, according to Weather Underground data taken from the Santa Monica Municipal Airport station. The 75-plus climate was reached a week earlier than last year, as it took until July 12, 2023 for summer heat to top that mark.
Now that the 75-degree plateau has been reached, the summer will likely carry on with that temperature as the base. From July 12 to the end of July in 2023, 15 of the 20 days were 75 and above, and August 2023 featured 15 of the 31 days hitting that mark. The remainder of this week will stay in that temperature range, with Wednesday and Thursday both expected to hit 77 degrees in the city.
Though not as sweltering as more inland locations, the heat still carries danger, from painful sunburn to more serious medical matters like heat stroke, when the body loses control of its temperature-fighting abilities and faces life-endangering events such as seizures.
"The body has a mechanism where [it] balances the heat gain with the heat loss," said Dr. Wally Ghurabi, Medical Director of the Emergency Department at UCLA Health Santa Monica. "We have mechanisms like evaporation [from] sweating, doing stuff to keep our temperature within normal limits, but the ones that we really worry about a lot is what we call heat stroke … because [people’s] mind doesn’t work [with body] temperature in the 104 to 106 range."
At the UCLA medical center, victims of heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses are put into "cold water immersion," placing the body into cold water tubs and putting beds of ice in places where heat production is "maximal," like under the armpit. Ghurabi added that those under the influence of drugs stand a tougher time, as some drugs (including standard medications) can raise body temperatures, particularly those in the stimulants category. To remedy these illnesses, the doctor recommends wearing light-colored clothing and staying out of the sunlight as much as possible.
One factor that makes Santa Monica’s summer situation a little less dire is its status as a beachside locale, bringing more skin-cooling wind into the equation.
"You don’t have to sweat as much … when the wind hits your skin, it cools it down … we’re blessed to be on the beachside, that wind is very helpful in decreasing our temperature [of] our skin, and in turn, will help our core [body] temperature coming to a lower degree," Ghurabi said.
Heat came into the spotlight this past weekend across California, including high temperatures well into the 120s at Death Valley National Park that caused a heat exposure-related death to a visitor, as well as another hospitalization. Palm Springs’ version of July 4 fireworks was hitting a toasty 124 degrees, breaking the city’s all-time heat record. The northern part of the state was also scorching, with the city of Redding recording a record 119-degree day on July 7.
Another ill effect of the heat is the threat of wildfires, including one just outside Los Angeles County. On July 7, the Vista Fire began in the San Bernardino National Forest, a blaze that has zero containment as of Tuesday afternoon and has burned through 1,295 acres thus far.
