As teeth chatter across the U.S., Southern California is a hot spot: What to expect this week

"While cold-stunned iguanas fall from trees in Florida and videos circulate of frozen "exploding" trees in the Northeast, Southern California is working up a sweat. A midwinter heat wave has descended on much of the state and is expected to spike temperatures as much as 20 degrees above normal in the coming week. The summer-like heat is thanks to a ridge of high pressure lingering high in the atmosphere that extends through the San Francisco Bay Area and into the Pacific Northwest."

"The high-pressure ridge this week is expected to go "all the way up through Canada into southern Alaska," said Carol Ciliberti, a meteorologist with the weather service. "It's pretty impressive." Moderate Santa Ana winds, which may bring gusts up to 50 mph in the mountains, could add some additional heat to the region. While downtown Los Angeles and Los Angeles International Airport tied daily record-high temperatures Friday, other parts of the United States set new daily record lows."

"Nearly half of Americans were under cold weather advisories and extreme cold warnings Sunday. Frigid Arctic air, winter storms and a "bomb cyclone" dumped heavy snow on New England, triggered flight cancellations in North Carolina and tested the limits of power systems in the South. Bomb cyclones typically occur when Arctic air creeps south and clashes with warm air, creating a storm that rapidly intensifies as its pressure suddenly drops - or "bombs out.""

Southern California is experiencing a midwinter heat wave with temperatures up to 20 degrees above normal across much of the state. A strong high-pressure ridge stretching through the San Francisco Bay Area into the Pacific Northwest and up into southern Alaska is driving the unusually warm conditions and is expected to persist through the end of the week and possibly through Super Bowl Sunday. Near-record highs could occur by Wednesday, with inland Los Angeles and Ventura areas potentially reaching about 90°F. Moderate Santa Ana winds may bring gusts up to 50 mph and add heat. Large parts of the country face Arctic cold, heavy snow and storm-related disruptions.

Read at Los Angeles Times