San Diego Keeps Its Cool as Summer Days Fade Away

Strange is the word to describe this summer’s weather, National Weather Service forecaster Wilbur Shigehara says.

And this weekend, he said, the “strange weather of the summer” will continue--with cool temperatures, lots of afternoon sunshine, and the by-now-expected night and morning low clouds.

“This is usually the warmest time of the year,” Shigehara said. “The weather is still struggling to hit the normal temperature high for August which is 78 degrees. So far we’ve only had four days in August of above-normal temperatures.”

All summer long, San Diego has been under the influence of a low-pressure system, which has hidden the usual sunny, warm weather behind a screen of clouds.

“People are wondering, ‘Where is the sun?’ I want to know, where is the high pressure system?” Shigehara said.

The impact of the cool temperatures is not only apparent in the abnormally pale faces of San Diego sun-worshipers, but also in the grocery store, according to Shigehara.

“When temperatures are this cool, the crops don’t grow as well,” he said. “Tomatoes take longer to get big and to ripen--plus, overall, they don’t grow as large.”

Heavy surf the last few days, attributable to the now-dissipating Hurricane Jova, will subside over the weekend. With Jova drifting 1,600 miles southwest of San Diego, waves will drop to three to four feet this weekend. Ocean temperatures will hover at around 68 degrees.

Coastal highs will range from 72 to 77 degrees through Saturday with lows ranging from 62 to 66.

Inland valleys will have highs between 77 and 84 and lows between 56 and 62.

Mountains and deserts will be mostly fair through Saturday, though partly cloudy. Mountain highs both Friday and Saturday will range from 78 to 85 degrees, with lows ranging from 50 and 58. Desert highs will range from 104 to 108 through Saturday, with lows of 72 to 77.