National Weather Service

Josh Kleinbaum Carlos Gutierrez sat at a table in front of Sbarro at the Glendale Marketplace, where the shade crept out and gave him some protection from the beating sun. Just after noon on Monday, Gutierrez sipped a cold drink from Starbucks, getting ready to take advantage of his day off and escape to the coast. "I'm going to the beach," Gutierrez said. "When it's hot like this, I try to stay indoors or go to the beach, or sometimes go to the movies."

A cold low-pressure system moving south should reach the Los Angeles area Thursday evening, bringing with it the chance of rain and cooler temperatures through Friday night, according to the National Weather Service. The system is expected to bring low-elevation snow to local mountains that could linger through Saturday, Andrew Rorke, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told the L.A. Times. Snow levels could reach as low as 3,000 feet by Friday morning, which could create hazardous driving conditions, especially around Interstate 5 through the Grapevine, Rorke said.

Cool and breezy conditions are expected to give way to another rainstorm later this week, but forecasters say it should be mostly clear and brisk by New Year's Day and the all-important Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena. Gusty northwest winds were expected for some areas through Thursday morning with most of the region experiencing fair weather Thursday and Friday, said experts with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. Many areas will experience 15- to 25-mph winds, they said, and the Antelope Valley and the mountains should see west to northwest winds of up to 45 mph. A winter weather advisory was issued for Thursday until 10 a.m., with blistery snow showers expected on north facing mountain slopes in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

Red flag warnings were issued Wednesday across Southern California as heat and dry winds were expected to turn Los Angeles and Ventura County mountains and valleys into a tinderbox. The National Weather Service said the red flag warnings would be in effect through Thursday for the mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, the Santa Monica Mountains, the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys and Ventura County valleys, the L.A. Times reported. Temperatures on Friday could rise past 100 degrees from Burbank to Pasadena, according to the weather service.

GLENDALE — Firefighters will be on heightened alert through Wednesday as weather forecasts call for fire-ripe conditions, officials said. The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for Los Angeles County valleys and mountains after forecasts called for extremely low humidity with the possibility for high winds through Wednesday. The Glendale City Fire Department would be curtailing training exercises so that all crew members would be ready to respond, Glendale Battalion Chief Bill Bailey said.

Josh Kleinbaum Brad Hasse sat outside the C&C Business Center, an Internet cafe on Brand Boulevard, enjoying the rare break from a seemingly endless stream of sunny days. "I'm hoping this lasts as long as possible," Hasse said, looking up at the gray sky. "Gloomy weather is upbeat. It's refreshing. It's different than a sunny sky or a blue sky. It's got some personality." If gray skies mean personality, than Glendale's in for a few days of Jim Carrey.

The rest of the week should remain perfect for walks in the park. Expect patchy night and morning low clouds and fog to give way to mostly clear skies and warm temperatures for the next few days in Glendale. High temperatures today through Thursday will be between 80 and 90 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Oxnard. Lows will dip into the low 60s. The weather seems to be in something of a transitional state, weather specialist Stuart Seto said.

Amber Willard GLENDALE -- As it issued a heat advisory for today and Thursday, the National Weather Service was reminding residents to drink plenty of fluids and avoid being outside during the day. Temperatures are expected to hit possible record highs today, with a forecasters calling for the city to hit 100 degrees. "We could be seeing the hottest days of the year in many areas," weather forecaster Bill Hoffer said. Hoffer also reminded residents not to leave children or pets in places with little ventilation, like cars, where the temperature can quickly rise to 140 degrees.

After setting a heat record in Burbank yesterday by hitting the 100-degree mark, don't expect much of a temperature break for the rest of the week. Today, the daytime high is expected to be near 97 degrees, and 91 degrees on Thursday as a weak low-pressure system moves in. But by Saturday, high pressure will start to build, pushing the mercury back into the mid- to high-90s for the weekend and early next week, according to the National Weather Service.

Triple degrees might as well be a heated memory as a low pressure system moving in today brings temperatures back down to seasonal norms. Daytime highs today are expected to hover in the high-80s, and possibly drop into the 70s on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. The low-pressure system could also bring a slight chance of showers in the mountains this weekend, the weather service said, as temperatures settle into a weeklong pattern of daytime highs in the mid-80s.