Gray Your Favorite Color? You’ll Like Weekend Skies

Gray skies figure prominently in the weekend weather forecast, as today’s overcast skies and drizzle from a weak cold front will be followed by more clouds and showers Saturday and Sunday.

A cooling trend will accompany the clouds, with high temperatures in the coastal and inland valley areas not expected to climb out of the 60s all weekend, National Weather Service forecaster Dan Atkin said.

“We’re looking at some cooling conditions,” Atkin said. “Gray skies will be the rule, with some local drizzle expected (today), especially along the coast as this cold front deepens the marine layer.”

The surf is expected to increase today because of the storm approaching from the Gulf of Alaska, with waves of three to six feet the norm and breakers up to 10 feet likely on west-facing beaches, according to Atkin.

“A small-craft advisory is already in effect for the outer waters,” he said. “There’s quite a swell out there beyond the coastal islands, about 60 miles off the coast or so. That’ll affect the surf here all day,” though it will decrease some Saturday.

Winds will increase as the storm approaches, with gusts up to 25 m.p.h. in the mountains likely by Sunday.

“There’s a very good chance of showers sometime after midday Saturday,” Atkin said. “It’s most likely they’ll come in early Sunday, but we’re telling people to expect them anytime after noon Saturday.”

The clouds will work as an insulator to keep the overnight lows just warm enough to avoid frost warnings in agricultural areas, but as the storm clears out early next week some frost protection might be required, Atkin said.

Coastal highs will be in the 60- to 65-degree range today, dipping down a degree or two Saturday and Sunday. Lows will be in the mid-50s through the weekend. Ocean temperature will remain around 59 degrees.

Inland highs will be between 63 and 69 today, decreasing about three degrees Saturday and Sunday. Overnight lows will range from 45 to 53 through Sunday.

In the mountains, local dense fog will be on lower coastal slopes this morning, with partly cloudy skies this afternoon and Saturday before the rain hits Saturday night. Highs all three days will be in the 50s, with lows between 28 and 36.

Desert areas will have variable high clouds today, with increasing cloud coverage beginning Saturday morning. Highs will be from 75 to 83 today and 72 to 80 Saturday and Sunday. Lows will be in the mid 40s.