Warm and Clear Weekend Blowing in the Wind

Warm temperatures and clear skies that have made Southern California delightful for the last few days should continue through the weekend, with just a touch of gusty afternoon and evening winds in the high desert and mountains, the National Weather Service said Thursday.

High at Los Angeles Civic Center Thursday was 82 degrees, with relative humidity ranging from 81% to 46%, and forecasters said it should be about the same today, with a gentle decline into the upper 70s possible before Monday.

Weak frontal systems moving across the Pacific Northwest are forcing slightly cooler air southward into California, meteorologists explained, and a weak eddy of marine moisture along the coast will continue the usual night and morning low cloudiness that can be expected to burn off well before noon each day.

Weekending at the beach should be pleasant enough: surf two to three feet on an 11-second interval at most locations, with an eight- to 16-m.p.h. sea breeze and water temperature holding near a warm 70 degrees--within a degree or two of the air temperature.

Yachting Forecast

Yachtsmen planning an overnight afloat were reminded to make provision for becalming in low clouds or fog. Otherwise, inshore sailors can expect southwest to west winds rising to 16 knots with one- to two-foot wind waves in the afternoon, and those venturing farther seaward were given a forecast of 18-knot northwesterly winds gusting at times to 22 knots, with five- to nine-foot combined seas from Point Conception to the Mexican border.

Mountain skies were expected to remain generally clear with winds gusting to 25 m.p.h. at times during the night in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino ranges and afternoon temperatures running from the upper 70s to the lower 80s. Sierra temperatures were expected to be five to 10 degrees lower at resort levels, with a bit more wind in the northern areas.

High deserts should be clear, the weather service predicted, with southwesterly winds to 25 m.p.h. dying away before Sunday afternoon and temperatures in the 95- to 105-degree range--about five degrees cooler than the low desert, where almost no wind was expected.

Scattered Thundershowers

Arizona’s weekend was expected to include scattered afternoon and night thundershowers in the southeast, with desert temperatures above 110 degrees and mountains rejoicing in the mid-80s; Las Vegas was scheduled for clear skies and temperatures to the low 80s.

Anyone planning a weekend in San Francisco should be prepared for sunny and breezy weather with temperatures from the mid-60s at the beaches to the 70s around the bay.