Fair and Warmer Weather Due as Storms Fade Away

Though San Diego has received its fair share of lion-like weather this week, March will come in like a lamb, according to the National Weather Service.

A very weak Santa Ana condition will bring sunny skies and warmer days through the weekend, forecaster Wilbur Shigehara said. Though a frost warning in the coldest agricultural areas has been issued for tonight, nighttime temperatures are expected to climb above freezing in these areas by the first morning of March on Sunday.

“Growers should be prepared to do some frost protection (tonight), but temperatures will begin to budge up by Saturday night,” Shigehara said. “We do expect some roads in the coldest of the cold inland areas to be white with frost, but it will be nothing like the mountains.”

Eighteen inches of snow fell at Mount Laguna during this week’s storm, 16 inches at Julian and 14 inches at Palomar Mountain. Cold daytime temperatures coupled with nighttime temperatures in the teens will keep the snow on the ground through the weekend, according to Shigehara.

Moving from snow to surf, uncommonly high tides are expected at county beaches over the weekend. A high tide of 7 feet is expected this morning and a 6.6-foot high tide is due Saturday morning, he said.

“Large waves are not expected to accompany the high tides, so we aren’t expecting any damage,” Shigehara said. “However, we are urging people to use common sense and not to challenge the waves at high tide time, since they are so unpredictable.”

Breakers will be two to three feet, and the high tides will begin to diminish by Sunday, he said. The sea temperature is near 58 degrees.

Highs at the beaches and inland areas will be between 62 and 67 today and in the 65- to 71-degree range Saturday and Sunday. Lows at the beaches will be in the low 40s tonight and the mid 40s Saturday night, while inlands lows will be in the low 30s tonight and the mid 30s Saturday night.

Mountains will have highs between 32 and 40 today and between 38 and 45 over the weekend. Overnight lows will range from 15 to 25 degrees. Deserts will have highs from 62 to 66 today and 68 to 74 Saturday and Sunday, with lows in the 30s.

“We are expecting delightful weather with lots of sunshine this weekend,” Shigehara said. “Daytime temperatures will be warming up, and our only memory of the storm will be the snow in our mountains.”