The Southland Weather : Weekend Shapes Up as Wee Bit Warmer

The onshore flow of moist marine air that has kept Southern California mornings cool and cloudy for the past week is weakening a little--but not enough to make more than a few degrees of difference in weekend temperatures, the National Weather Service said Thursday.

A weak upper-level trough of low pressure moved through the West Thursday morning, temporarily deepening the marine layer and causing low clouds to hang around well into the day along the coast.

But that’s all over, meteorologists said, and gradual warming--with a few local westerly wind gusts--is expected for the next few days.

High temperature at Los Angeles Civic Center on Thursday was 71 degrees, with relative humidity ranging from 49% to 81%. And forecasters said it would be about five degrees warmer today, heating up another degree or two by Saturday.

Moderate Surf

Low clouds and perhaps a bit of fog may hang around the beaches most mornings, but afternoon highs should reach the mid-60s, with the sea breeze rising from 10 to 15 m.p.h., surf a moderate one to two feet and water temperature only a degree or two below that of the air.

Weekend seafarers were told to prepare for southwesterly winds to 18 knots and southwest swells to three feet during the afternoons in the inshore waters between Point Conception and the Mexican border, while those who ventured farther out on Thursday faced northwest winds to 25 knots and five- to 10-foot combined seas that triggered a small-craft advisory as far south as Santa Rosa Island. Forecasters said the same might be expected this afternoon, with conditions quieting down by Saturday.

Winds gusting to 25 m.p.h. at times were expected at resort levels in the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains, where morning clouds and fog were predicted along coastal slopes, with skies turning fair and temperatures rising to the mid-60s in the afternoons.

A chance of snow showers was seen for the eastern Sierra, with southerly winds rising to 40 m.p.h. at times today and Saturday and afternoon temperatures reaching the upper 30s and lower 40s.

Clear in Desert

Desert skies should be clear through the weekend, the weather service said, with west and southwest winds reaching 25 m.p.h. at times, and temperatures ranging from the high 70s to the low 80s in the northern desert and into the low 90s in the southern desert.

Las Vegas was expecting clear skies, with afternoon temperatures hitting the upper 80s by Sunday.

A 40% chance of rain was forecast for San Francisco and vicinity, with northwest winds hitting 30 m.p.h. at times. Highs will be in the low 70s.

And Ensenada was, of course, expecting sunshine, after a few night and morning low clouds and afternoon temperatures reaching the mid-70s.