Clear, Dry Weekend Is Coasting This Way

A layer of moist air from the ocean is expected to keep skies partly cloudy and cool in Southern California today, but the National Weather Service said the rest of the weekend should be clear and dry.

High temperature at Los Angeles Civic Center Thursday was 83 degrees with relative humidity ranging from a damp 46% to a muggy 75%.

Forecasters said it should be a degree or two cooler today--perhaps returning to the mid-80s by Sunday afternoon.

Meteorologists opined that it is all because of a tropical depression named Marty.

That depression (the failed remnant of what might have been a tropical storm) was about 300 miles southwest of Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon and moving landward at about 10 m.p.h.--a speed that should bring it to the coastline just after sunset today.

This could trigger a few isolated thundershowers over the mountains and the north end of the Owens Valley, the weather service predicted. But Southern California is expected to be dry again by Saturday night.

Sunny days with a few high clouds--after the usual night and morning low clouds and possible fog--are on tap for beach areas through the weekend, with surf running two to three feet and an afternoon sea breeze to 16 m.p.h. Water temperature is expected to be about 68 degrees in most places--which should be five to six degrees cooler than the air.

Afternoon west-to-southwest winds to 18 knots are forecast for inshore and offshore waters from Point Conception to the Mexican border, and yachtsmen venturing out 60 miles or more were told to expect combined seas to six feet at times.

Temperatures ranging from overnight lows in the upper 40s to afternoon highs in the low 80s are forecast for mountain resorts, with winds rising to 20 m.p.h. at times.

Some clouds are also expected in the deserts during the early part of the weekend, with high desert temperatures to 100 degrees and low deserts about 10 degrees warmer.

Las Vegas is expecting bright sunshine, with afternoon temperatures to 110 degrees.

San Francisco’s weekend forecast (not surprisingly) includes low clouds and fog along the coast with partial clearing during the afternoon and temperatures from the 60s near the ocean to the 90s inland.