Valley Runs a Temperature of 107

Mike Mariona wiped his sweaty face on his T-shirt and leaped onto his skateboard for another run down the hot sidewalk.

It was the kind of day that turns icy drinks to lukewarm slosh, that roasts steering wheels and seat belts beyond the touch. In Chatsworth, the temperature soared to 107 on Wednesday, breaking an 11-year record for the date.

“It seems like it’s 140 degrees, because we’re skating all the time,” said Mike, a lanky 15-year-old.

He and his spiky-haired friends weren’t too hot to stop rattling down the paths outside the Winnetka Recreation Center, but they kept ducking into the gym for a cool blast of air conditioning.

The heat won’t break any time soon, said Bruce Rockwell, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service.

Today’s forecast calls for heat of between 95 and 105 in the valleys, he said. Temperatures are expected to dip slightly Friday and Saturday, to the low 90s, and then soar again Sunday, according to Rockwell.

The San Fernando Valley resumed its traditional summer sizzle Tuesday, when Chatsworth hit a high of 105. The temperature broke a record set two years ago.

On Wednesday, Woodland Hills baked at 105 and Northridge hit 102. As usual, the weather was cooler along the coast, with the Santa Monica Pier registering 68 degrees.

“Obviously it’s warmer than normal, but I can’t say it’s unusual,” said Rockwell. “Every summer we always get several sessions of this hot weather. You can expect this in July and August.”

At the Winnetka center, children enrolled in a day camp swarmed onto the playground only to retreat to the shade beneath a tree. A group of boys slumped into the cool sand under a slide.

“The kids don’t like staying inside all day,” said Vince Garcia, the camp director. But summer outings, he admitted, are sometimes more trouble than they are worth.

“We went to Dodger Stadium yesterday and it was just burning hot,” he said. “We only stayed until the fourth inning because the kids were dying in the heat.”

Hence today’s camp agenda: Water Day, complete with water balloons and a Slip ‘N Slide.

At a dusty construction site along Devonshire Street in Chatsworth, workers had no choice but to lumber on as the sun beat down. They downed gallons of water to counter the draining heat.

“It’s terrible when you have to work outdoors,” said Rene Ramirez, adding that his plastic hard hat makes things only steamier. The workers, who were installing a storm drain, sometimes ducked into underground tunnels to escape the sweltering sun.

One outdoor worker, pool man Rich Oldhafer of North Hollywood, found a way to keep cool on the job.

“Before I clean a pool, I jump in,” said Oldhafer, who wears a pair of yellow swim trunks to work. “The customers all leave an open invitation. I’m dry by the time I get back to my truck.”