The Weather : It’ll Be Clear and C-c-cold

Crisp, dry air migrating south from western Canada should keep Southern California skies mostly clear through this weekend, the National Weather Service said Thursday.

But it will be cold.

Forecasters warned of sub-freezing overnight temperatures in the mountains, foothills and high desert and suggested extra care in protecting pets and sensitive plants.

High temperature at Los Angeles Civic Center on Thursday was 61, with relative humidity ranging from 24% to 55%, and the Weather Service said it should be a couple of degrees cooler today--and perhaps even colder Saturday and Sunday.

Beaches from Zuma to San Diego were expecting mid-afternoon temperatures in the mid- to upper 50s, with ocean temperatures almost the same temperature and surf running 2 to 3 feet.

Some wind also was forecast along the coast: Local northwesterly winds 15 to 25 m.p.h. were expected in coastal and inland valleys, and anyone venturing offshore was warned of north to northwest afternoon winds increasing to 30 knots this afternoon in outer waters from Point Conception to San Clemente Island.

Inner waters should be calmer, forecasters said, with afternoon west to northwest winds reaching 18 knots this afternoon and evening from Point Conception to the Mexican border, although stronger wind--north to northwest rising to 25 knots with westerly swells to 2 feet--was predicted between Santa Barbara and Santa Monica.

Northerly winds gusting to 30 m.p.h. were forecast for Southern California’s mountains, with resort-level highs ranging from the high 20s to the high 30s and lows descending to 18.