Weekend Outlook Is for an End to Winter Weather

Weather more reminiscent of Thanksgiving than the first week of October should improve this weekend as temperatures warm and cloudiness decreases, forecasters said.

“The weather pattern we have now is about two months ahead of schedule,” said Wilbur Shigehara of the National Weather Service. “The freezing level is around 7,000 feet, and that usually happens around Thanksgiving. The reason for all this is a stubborn low pressure system that should now be gradually moving east, and we might almost reach normal temperatures by Sunday.”

Shigehara said the temperatures could go up even more if the low pressure system moves east more rapidly, but he thought that would be unlikely since it had been in the area since early September.

“If people thought September was cold they were right,” Shigehara said. “It was the coldest September since 1944, and the fifth coldest since records began being kept in 1850. In fact, none of the days in September reached the normal high temperature for that particular day.”

Over the weekend, highs at the beaches should reach between 70 and 74 degrees Saturday and a degree or two warmer Sunday. Today’s high is expected to be 72. Low temperatures all days should be in the 55- to 60-degree range. The ocean temperature should remain around 66 degrees.

“The surf has been the normal two to three feet, but we might see an increase by half-a-foot to a foot over the weekend,” Shigehara said.

High temperatures in the inland valleys should be between 70 and 74 today, 74 and 78 Saturday, and a degree or two warmer Sunday. Lows will be between 45 and 55 degrees.

Continued gusty winds in the mountain and desert areas will keep daytime temperatures cool. Highs in the mountains should range between 53 to 58 today, increasing to 60 to 65 Saturday and Sunday. Nights will be between 30 and 38.

Desert highs should reach 83 today and 87 over the weekend, with overnight lows in the 50s.

“The weather will turn nicer, drier and sunnier, which should come as a welcome respite from this early winter we’ve been experiencing,” Shigehara said.