Another Santa Ana’s on Way : Holiday Treat: Warm, Sunny Weather

Family, friends and good food aren’t the only things San Diegans have to be thankful for today--you can add ideal weather to the list.

A warm and crystal clear Thanksgiving is forecast, continuing the weather that began Saturday when a Santa Ana condition moved unexpectedly into the area, National Weather Service forecaster Ray Robben said.

Some morning low clouds and fog will return by Friday, but their presence will be short-lived.

“That will maybe last into Saturday, but things will begin to change again Saturday afternoon,” Robben said.

“If the high pressure develops then as much as we think it will, another much stronger Santa Ana will move into San Diego. I don’t think it’s going to turn out to be one of those 90-degree types, but it should be quite dry and windy.”

San Diego usually is spared the winds that accompany a Santa Ana condition, but Robben said this won’t be the case on Sunday.

“Around Thanksgiving we usually get a light Santa Ana here in San Diego,” Robben said. “What we don’t usually get are the winds like Los Angeles gets, so we get the crystal clear air but not the wind kicking up the debris and all that. It seems the Santa Ana expected to settle in here Sunday will have those strong winds.”

The last five days have been warmer than average while the nights have been cooler than average, and that trend is expected to continue, Robben said.

The high temperature Wednesday at Lindbergh Field was 75 degrees. The average for the date is 68. The morning low was 48. The average minimum temperature is 51.

High temperatures at the beaches today should be between 73 and 78 degrees and in the 68- to 74-degree range Friday and Saturday. High temperatures for Sunday will be near 78 degrees again. Overnight lows all four days will be in the upper 40s. The surf will be a little bigger than average, between three and five feet, and the ocean temperature near 63.

Inland valleys will have highs between 76 and 84 today and between 72 and 80 Friday, increasing two or three degrees again by Sunday. Inland lows will be between 37 and 45 through the weekend, except in the coldest locations where they will be around freezing, Robben said.

The mountain and desert areas will have fair days with gusty westerly winds and will be spared the morning low clouds that are expected to roll into the other areas Friday morning. Mountain highs today will range from 57 to 65, cooler Friday with highs in the 50s, and nudging back up to the mid-60s over the weekend. Lows will be between 27 and 37 all four days.

Desert highs will range from 77 and 87 today and will be about three to five degrees cooler Friday, before increasing by a few degrees over the weekend. Lows will range from 42 to 52.