It's weather like this that sometimes disappoints East Coast transplants ready for golden leaves, sweaters and hot chocolate the minute the calendar says it's October. But we'll take another bout of summertime blues over cooler days every time.

This end-of-week weather will bring not only an extended summer but a bona fide heat wave, which could see temperatures reach 100 degrees in traditionally warmer areas like the valleys, forecasters say. Add high surf and relatively warm ocean water (about 68 degrees) to the mix, and you have the makings of a big weekend at the beach.

Look for the hottest days to be Friday and Saturday, says Todd Hall, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. High temps downtown were forecast to jump from 85 today to 90 Friday to 94 Saturday, he said. Some places could reach triple digits, and beaches won't offer their traditional relief.

That's because the warmth is being stoked by a high-pressure system over the Eastern Pacific that's “combining with an offshore flow,” Hall says. With winds brushing over waves, and the Friday and Saturday surf forecast to reach 3 to 6 feet, with some 7- to 8-foot sets possible, it could be perfect surfing weather for experienced board riders. Hall warned that strong rip currents are likely at Southern California beaches, so beware.

Beachgoers could be looking at long-range, Southern Hemisphere swell and high temps in the 80s Friday and Saturday, Hall says. Low temperatures across the L.A. Basin were expected to hover near 60 during the three-day heat wave that's forecast to kick off today.

The offshore winds are expected to be relatively mild, according to the forecast. It won't be a traditional Santa Ana wind event, Hall said.

Cooling was expected Sunday, Hall said, but Monday was a wild card, with the weather service's computer models fighting each other. Some forecasts have been calling for cooler, fall-like weather next week. Hall is leaning toward the opposite — another round of heat.

Like we said, we'll take it.

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