Hot, Muggy Weather Due for Weekend

A slow-moving storm headed for San Diego County Thursday was forecast to bring cloudy, muggy weather this Easter weekend and drop daytime highs to near normal, but rain was not predicted to fall before Sunday night.

A high-pressure system that protected the county from storms this week fostered a brief heat wave that peaked with temperatures more than 10 degrees above normal on Thursday. It is scheduled to move east today.

The temperature leaped to a countywide high of 101 degrees at Fallbrook Thursday and reached 97 in Borrego, 90 in El Cajon, 89 in Escondido, 88 in Poway and Lemon Grove and 86 in Alpine and La Mesa.

Near the coast, temperatures were more moderate, but still rose to 10 degrees above normal with at high of 76 at Lindbergh Field. Highs reached 79 in Coronado, only 61 at Oceanside and 66 in Del Mar.

According to the National Weather Service, the departure of the high-pressure system today will open the way for the storm slowly approaching from the west. It was 700 miles off the coast late Thursday afternoon, forecaster Wilbur Shigehara said, and should bring in some clouds today and increasing cloud cover through the weekend.

The storm is also expected to bring higher humidity--in the 65% to 75% range--and a chance of rain by Sunday, but temperatures should not drop below normal.

At the beach, the surf will be flat at 2 to 3 feet, and sailing breezes should blow from 8 to 15 m.p.h. from the south to southwest. Daytime highs should be around the mid-60s.

Along the coastal strip, highs in the 70s today and from 68 to 72 Saturday should fall to the 50s at night.

Inland valley highs from 77 to 87 today should be in the 73- to 81-degree range Saturday. Lows are expected to be in the mid-40s to mid-50s.