Freezing and Then Frying: a Wild Ride

Mother Nature’s going schizo.

Temperatures rode the seesaw well up into the 90s Tuesday, only a week after a chilly, rainy spell. But the newfound blaze of sunshine is expected to mellow into partly cloudy skies this weekend.

Or maybe not.

“Computer simulations get flaky this time of year,” said Vladimir Ryshko, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Oxnard. “One says dry and clear, and the other rain, with others somewhere in between. It’s a spring transition.”

Temperatures soared across Southern California on Tuesday. Ontario reached 100, making it the hottest spot in the area, while Death Valley’s 102 earned it that label for the United States.

The mercury hit a high of 88 in Anaheim, but South County cities were cooler, with San Juan Capistrano reporting a mild 75. Similar temperatures are expected today, followed Thursday by a 10- to 15-degree drop.

High pressure has been holding back the chill and rain of the past few weeks, according to WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts to The Times. A Pacific storm may arrive this weekend.

The change in the weather pattern will be caused by a trough in the Northwest, forecasters said, bringing a chance of showers Friday and Saturday.