Unseasonably warm temperatures in the West to break records this weekend

A "strong and expansive upper level ridge" is expected to bring unseasonably warm temperatures to the western half of the U.S. this weekend, the National Weather Service Prediction Center said. Nearly 100 locations are forecast to approach or exceed record high temperatures.

Parts of California and the Great Basin could see temperatures of 10 to 20 degrees above normal in the coming days, the weather agency said. Portions of the Southwest are also likely to report record-setting temperatures.

Some California cities, including Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Jose, Santa Barbara, have already broken or tied previous record temperatures this week.