The Good News and the Bad : Unusually Cold Temperatures to Climb, But Clouds to Follow

The good news is that the near- and below-freezing low temperatures are a thing of the past.

The bad news is that they have been replaced by clouds.

The other good news is that those clouds will be gone by Sunday.

This weekend will be quite a contrast to last weekend, when sub-freezing temperatures caused an estimated $10 million worth of damage to crops and resulted in a one-hour record for natural gas use in San Diego, National Weather Service forecaster Wilbur Shigehara said.

No frost warning was issued Thursday night for the first time in a week, and no warnings are expected tonight or Saturday night as well. However, two weak storm fronts moving through the area today and Saturday will bring clouds and a slight chance of showers.

“The clouds will mean warmer overnight temperatures, though we will have somewhat cooler days (today) and Saturday,” Shigehara said. “The main brunt of the storms will hit Northern California, and by the time they trickle down here they’ll have lost their fury.”

There’s a 20% chance of light showers today and Saturday, and an even smaller possibility of any measurable rainfall, he said.

“Some people might get a few sprinkles, but it won’t be very widespread, and the threat of any measurable rainfall is so small it’s on the threshold of not mentioning,” Shigehara said.

Sunday will dawn sunny and warmer, he promised, with temperatures expected to mirror Thursday’s, when highs in most inland areas reached the mid-70s.

Highs in both beach and inland areas today and Saturday will be in the 61- to 66-degree range, with overnight lows in the 40s.

“Saturday night might be a little colder since the clouds will have left by then, but nothing like last weekend,” Shigehara said.

The two approaching storms will kick the surf up a little, Shigehara said, with breakers up to four feet expected. The ocean temperature will continue to be a chilly 57 degrees.

Mountain areas will have highs in the 40s, with lows in the upper 20s tonight and the mid-20s Saturday night.

Deserts will have highs in the low 70s all three days, with overnight lows expected to be around 40 degrees.