Mild Days, Chilly Nights to Continue

More of the same is just the weekend weather forecast San Diegans want to see, and that’s exactly what they’re going to get, with mild daytime temperatures and very cold nights expected through Sunday.

A weak Santa Ana condition settled into the area Monday and should continue through Saturday, National Weather Service forecaster Wilbur Shigehara said. By Sunday some clouds might return, but not enough to cause any storm activity.

“We should have this ghost of a Santa Ana through Saturday, but by Sunday it will be gone,” Shigehara said. “While it might be partly cloudy throughout the day Sunday, I really don’t think there will be even a chance of rain.”

A heavy surf advisory was issued and then canceled Thursday morning when the surf did not increase as much as forecasters thought it would, Shigehara said.

“The biggest surf reported was four feet at Solana Beach, and the average was two to three feet,” Shigehara said. “It should be between three to four with occasional six-foot breakers through Sunday. Waves are coming in at 15-second intervals from way out in the Pacific, so they aren’t really as strong as we thought they’d be.”

Coastal temperatures will remain in the mid-60s through the weekend, with ocean temperature around 62 degrees. Overnight lows will be in the mid-40s in most coastal areas, though low temperatures are expected to dip down into the 30s in coastal valleys like Sorrento and Carmel, Shigehara said.

“We might even see the return of some of that fog in these valleys as the Santa Ana slowly dissipates,” Shigehara said.

Inland high temperatures will also remain between 66 and 69 degrees even in the warmest areas, with lows between 35 and 43 in most areas and in the low 30s in the coldest inland sections.

“We’ve had reports of frost in all areas the last couple of nights, and (Thursday) night was the coldest of the season,” Shigehara said. “If we do get some clouds by the end of the weekend, the nighttime temperatures will moderate. Clouds work as an insulator, but they also tend to keep daytime temperatures cool.”

Mountain areas will be cool and clear through the weekend, with traces of snow from last weekend’s storm still at Mount Laguna and Julian, Shigehara said. Highs will be in the upper 40s, with lows between 23 and 28 degrees.

Deserts will have highs in the 65- to 68-degree range, with overnight lows in the 30s. Shigehara said even some desert regions are reporting overnight frost.

“The last 10 years were the epitome of the warm years in San Diego, so it’s no wonder there seems to be sort of a chill in the air,” Shigehara said. “However, temperatures lately have been just a degree or two below average and should remain so through the weekend.”