The Weather : Clear, Dry Weekend Ahead for Southland

Mornings may be cloudy along the coast, but skies should be clear and dry before noon throughout the weekend in Southern California, the National Weather Service said Thursday.

A storm system that made the early part of the week cool, damp and dark has taken its showers east into Arizona, and another storm system moving in behind it will probably be too far north to have much direct effect on weather in this part of the state, meteorologists explained.

Still, they said, it can be counted upon to cause inland air pressure to drop tonight, which will encourage fog and low clouds to move ashore overnight.

Thursday’s high temperature at Los Angeles Civic Center was 84 degrees, with relative humidity ranging from 25% to 72%. Skies were clear, and northerly winds gusted to 40 m.p.h. at times from coastal areas to the mountains and below canyons.

Degree or Two Warmer

The Weather Service said it might be a degree or two warmer today, with winds rising to 25 m.p.h. at times, while Saturday and Sunday were expected to see the beginning of a new cooling trend.

Night and morning low clouds and fog should keep beach temperatures in the upper 60s and lower 70s, forecasters said, with afternoon winds rising to 20 m.p.h., surf 2 to 3 feet every 12 seconds and water temperature in the mid-60s.

Inshore yachtsmen were offered a weekend of light and variable morning breezes, steadying southwest to 16 knots in the afternoon and evening with minor southwest swells from Point Conception to the Mexican border, while those venturing farther to sea may encounter combined seas to 7 feet and gentle winds in the 10-knot range.

Visitors to the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains should find skies clear, the Weather Service said, with north to northeast winds gusting above 30 m.p.h. at times this morning, and resort-level temperatures ranging from the upper 60s to near freezing overnight.