Fair Weather in Store for Long Weekend

Thick ocean fog played havoc at Lindbergh Field Thursday morning, causing delays averaging 45 minutes for 60 departing flights.

The fog cut visibility to two miles, according to National Weather Service forecaster Wilbur Shigehara, who said the mist should dissipate this weekend and not cause further flight delays.

In fact, Shigehara said, the weather this long Labor Day weekend should be delightful, with night and morning low clouds giving way to plenty of afternoon sunshine. Along the coast there will be high tides and big surf.

“The nice part about this Labor Day is that temperatures will be down slightly below normal. This is the kind of weather people look forward to. It should be nice just about anywhere in San Diego,” Shigehara said.

What seems certain--or as certain as forecasters can be with weather--is that there should be no repetition of the thunderstorms and lightning that raked much of the region earlier this week.

San Diego’s recent hot temperatures and thunderstorms are not, as some may suspect, unusual for this time of year. “Normally around August and September we look to the south for our weather, which brings us high-level winds, moisture and heat. The display of thunderstorms is not unusual nor is the accompaniment of lightning,” Shigehara said.

Oceanside Woman Hit

Earlier this week, an Oceanside woman was hospitalized after being struck by lightning in the Lake Henshaw area of Palomar Mountain.

Jamie Stockdale, 22, was taken by Life Flight to UC San Diego Medical Center’s Trauma Unit after being struck Wednesday while walking with her husband in an area called Love Valley. Her condition was upgraded Thursday from critical to fair.

Shigehara says such mishaps are more common than most people think.

“Lightning strikes are not unusual, in fact, they’re very common. Last year, four people were hospitalized after being struck by lightning in Carlsbad,” Shigehara said. “Lightning probably kills more people than any other (type of) storm such as hurricanes, tornadoes or floods . . . From 1959 to 1982 there were 2,500 lightning deaths. We have an average of 250 people injured every year in the United States,” Shigehara said.

The high pressure system that brought the thunderstorms to the county is being replaced by a low pressure system that is expected to cool down San Diego. Humidity will also drop to a normal 67%, according to Shigehara.

Extremely high tides, reaching more than seven feet, are expected this weekend, which could lead to minor overflows along some low-lying beach areas. “Tides over seven feet are very rare. The largest tides we’ve ever had measured 7.8 feet. Saturday’s tide is expected to measure 7.3 feet. Normal tides are about three to four feet,” Shigehara said.

Pleasant Temperatures

Low clouds on the coast should burn off by early in the afternoon, with high temperatures between 72 and 76 degrees, with lows ranging from 62 to 66 through the weekend.

Inland valleys should see the sun by mid-morning and temperatures there will range from 77 to 85 degrees, with lows between 58 and 64 degrees.

Pleasant temperatures are expected for mountain and desert areas as well, though they will probably have partly cloudy skies. Mountain highs will range between 74 and 79 degrees with lows 55 to 60 degrees. The deserts will be sunny and hot, with highs between 102 to 106 degrees and lows 72 to 77.