INLAND EMPIRE METRO: Hazy afternoon sunshine and gradually warmer. Highs in the 90s peaking on Sunday. Partly cloudy at night with lows in the mid 60s.

MOUNTAINS: Mostly sunny with afternoon and evening winds gusting to 25 miles an hour. Resort-level highs through Saturday from the mid 70s to just above 90.

DESERTS: Mostly sunny and continued quite warm through Friday. An Extreme Heat Watch Saturday in Eastern Riverside County. Highs from 96 to 108.

BEACHES: Partly cloudy afternoons through Friday. Highs around 73. Mostly cloudy overnight with patchy fog. Surf 2-5 feet. Water 61-69.

SUMMARY: Southern California weather is right on target for this time of year.

KEY POINTS:
-A few degrees above average for the rest of the week.
-Heat builds further this weekend. Warmest temperatures Sunday; still hot Monday.

Aside from a weekend spike in temperatures, the National Weather Service predicts several days of benign conditions.

High pressure will expand over the desert southwest by Sunday. Another Extreme Heat Watch will be imposed this weekend on the Palo Verde Valley and Eastern Riverside County.

An extensive marine layer will keep Southland coastal communities air conditioned. Sandwiched in between are the valleys where some slight warming is likely.

Although a weak troughing pattern takes over by early next week, dry weather continues for the foreseeable future.