Warm Weekend Shapes Up in Southland

After a mostly sunny but cool spring day Thursday, temperatures should start rising a bit today, and a warm weekend is expected for Southern California, weather forecasters said.

An influx of marine air dropped temperatures down to the mid-60s along the coast Thursday, and there will be early-morning low clouds today in coastal areas and over the San Gabriel, San Bernardino and San Fernando valleys.

But an area of high pressure is moving over the southern half of the state and temperatures will climb to the mid-70s at beaches and in coastal valleys by the afternoon, the National Weather Service said. Thursday’s Civic Center high was 74. Today’s high should be a degree or two warmer, and on Saturday it should reach the low 80s.

Nights will be cool, with temperatures down to the upper 50s or low 60s.

Good for Surfers

For surfers, conditions will be good, with waves two to four feet high every 11 or 12 seconds, all the way from Zuma Beach to San Diego County.

Desert areas will have highs in the upper 80s in the northern regions, soaring to the low or middle 90s around Palm Springs.

Even in the mountains, daytime temperatures will be in the mid-60s today and perhaps could range into the low 70s by Saturday.

Northern California will not be so lucky, forecasters said.

It will be partly cloudy over the Sierra Nevada and northern mountain ranges, with a chance of showers or even isolated thundershowers through tonight.