First Weekend of 1985 Should Be Clear, Warm

The first weekend of 1985 should be clear, warm and altogether delightful in Southern California, the National Weather Service said Thursday.

A strong high-pressure area dominating the entire western United States is deflecting arctic weather, meteorologists explained, and is responsible for the mild Santa Ana winds that have been gusting at 20 to 30 m.p.h. in the mountains and below canyons.

Those winds were expected to decrease somewhat--perhaps even die entirely--today because the high-pressure area is beginning to weaken.

Sunny Afternoons

Forecasters agreed it should retain enough strength, however, to keep the afternoon skies sunny and temperatures near 70 degrees at least until the early part of next week.

High temperature at the Los Angeles Civic Center Thursday was 72 degrees. Relative humidity ranged from 51% in the early morning to just 14% by late afternoon.

The forecast called for occasional high cloudiness throughout Southern California today, Saturday and Sunday, with overnight lows near or below freezing in the coldest wind-protected areas. The forecast also warned of an increasing chance of fog or low clouds during the night and morning hours along the coast by Sunday.

Beaches from Santa Barbara to San Diego were expecting moderate surf: two to three feet in most cases on a 12-second interval increasing a bit Saturday and Sunday, with water temperatures running about 56 degrees. That will be six to eight degrees below the air temperature by mid-afternoon.

Small Crafts Warned

A small craft advisory was in effect from Ventura to Santa Monica Thursday afternoon for northeast winds gusting to 30 knots at times, but this condition was expected to correct itself by today. Yachtsmen who stay inshore this weekend were told to expect decreasing winds--15 to 5 knots below canyons with wind waves rising to five feet and westerly swell to two feet--in the afternoons today and Saturday.

Visitors to the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains are expected to see overnight lows to the mid-20s at resort altitudes, the weather service said, but the forecast called for skies to remain generally clear with afternoon highs from the mid-40s to the mid-50s.

The Sierra was expected to remain fair throughout the weekend, with overnight freezing and crisp temperatures throughout the daylight hours.

The weather service predicted cool weather--highs from the mid-50s to the mid-60s and lows below freezing--for the high desert, while the low deserts were expected to be about 10 degrees warmer overall, with no freezing, and skies fair to slightly overcast in the nights and mornings.

Las Vegas was also scheduled to see fair skies and cool temperatures, with highs close to 60 degrees and overnight lows from the 20s to the upper 30s.

Some variable cloudiness was predicted for the Colorado River Valley, with highs to the mid-60s, while the forecast called for overnight lows in the teens and daytime temperatures reaching near 50 degrees in the Arizona mountains.

Ensenada visitors can expect variable high cloudiness at times, forecasters said, but sea breezes were expected to be gentle--8 to 12 m.p.h. Afternoon temperatures were expected to be in the mid-60s to mid-70s range.

Even San Francisco was expecting nothing more formidable than morning fog in the valleys and partial cloudiness elsewhere with overnight lows below freezing. Daytime temperatures were expected to reach the mid-40s and mid-50s.