It’s Shaping Up to Be an Enjoyable Weekend

Southern California’s weekend should be warm, dry, sunny--and eminently enjoyable for one and all, the National Weather Service said Thursday.

An unheralded high-level atmospheric disturbance that darkened afternoon skies and scattered a few drops of water here and there began drifting lazily away to the south Thursday, meteorologists said, allowing an offshore high-pressure area to push an arm inland as a temporary barrier to incoming storms.

The result was a forecast of clear skies and slowly rising temperatures expected to last into the early part of next week.

Traces of rain fell Thursday at Newport Beach, Long Beach and National City, but the bulk of the moisture seems to have fallen in foothill areas, with Pasadena reporting .61 of an inch by 4 p.m., Simi Hills .39 of an inch, and .19 of an inch in Woodland Hills.

High temperature at Los Angeles Civic Center on Thursday was 65 degrees, with relative humidity ranging from 38% to 80%, and the weather service said it should be a couple of degrees warmer today, crawling into the low 70s by Sunday afternoon.

Beaches Sunny and Cool

The forecast called for beaches from Santa Barbara to San Diego to be sunny and cool. Sea breezes 8 to 15 m.p.h. were expected to keep the air temperature in the low 60s today, rising to the upper 60s by Sunday, with water temperatures running to the upper 50s and the surf moderate--3 to 4 feet.

Offshore weather from Point Conception to the Mexican border was expected to steady up after departure of Thursday’s partial overcast and moisture, with morning light and variable winds giving way to 6- to 12-knot west-to-northwest afternoon winds in inner waters, and northwest winds rising to 16 knots during the afternoon in outer waters from Point Conception to San Clemente Island.

Forecasters said the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains should be beautiful, with fair skies and afternoon highs in the 50s at resort levels, dropping to the mid-20s in most places overnight and local northeast winds rising occasionally to 20 m.p.h.

The Sierra was expected to remain fair with local winds to 20 m.p.h., afternoon highs from the upper 40s to the lower 50s and overnight lows in the upper teens and mid-20s.

Some warming was expected in the deserts, with skies remaining fair and humidity low; high desert temperatures were expected to reach the 60s in the afternoons--about 10 degrees below the levels forecast for the low desert, and overnight lows were expected to remain in the 30s and 40s in both areas, with afternoon winds gusting to 15 m.p.h. and above.

Arizona’s weekend forecast included the chance of snow showers in the White Mountains late today and early Saturday, but skies were expected to be sunny by Sunday, with temperatures from the upper 40s in the mountains to nearly 70 degrees in the deserts.

Las Vegas visitors were told to expect warm and dry weather, with afternoon mercury readings reaching the mid-50s.

The weather service said San Francisco’s mornings should feature patchy morning fog--as usual--gradually lightening to hazy sunshine by early afternoon, with temperatures reaching from the mid-50s to the low 60s.