But Another Storm Is En Route : New Year to Start Off on a Sunny, Warmer Note

The New Year should be ushered in with plenty of sunshine and warmer temperatures. “The weekend looks pretty good,” National Weather Service forecaster Wilbur Shigehara said.

But enjoyment could be short-lived, Shigehara added, since “there’s another storm developing off the coast that could bring us rain as early as Tuesday.”

Although San Diegans haven’t seen the last of the arctic chill, temperatures will be on the rise through Sunday, Shigehara said, with tonight’s frost advisory being the last.

In the low inland valley areas, overnight lows will be in the upper 20s and low 30s tonight, with warmer nights to follow.

Interesting Weather Year

The weather in 1987 provided some interesting moments, according to the National Weather Service’s year-end report. County residents were greeted last January with one of the worst freezes ever. Then, just as the year was ending, two more freezes drifted in.

“January’s freeze resulted in nearly $35 million of frost damage to agriculture,” Shigehara said.

December’s freeze was as severe as January’s, with low temperatures dropping to 37 on Dec. 14, followed by freezing temperatures from Dec. 24-27 that repeated crop frost damage, he said.

“Temperatures fell to 19 in Escondido and 20 in Bonsall between Dec. 24 and 27,” he said.

Christmas in San Diego was one of the coldest ever, a chilly 34 at Lindbergh Field. That tied for the second coldest for that date. Christmas was also the coldest day of 1987.

In February, a violent storm churned off the Pacific, producing hail throughout the county--enough to build a snowman at Seaport Village, Shigehara said.

Summer weather was disappointing, dominated by clouds and gloom that lingered into the fall.

“It was the coldest July since 1948, averaging a mere 67.1--about 3.2 degrees below normal--and the coldest August since 1975,” he said. We only averaged 69.9 degrees in August.

“We had some of the cloudiest skies in San Diego history May through July. Although May and June are known for being the cloudiest months of the year, they were even cloudier this year,” he said.

October’s heat wave sent the mercury up to 104 degrees on Oct. 3, breaking the previous high of 98 for that date.

“This was the second all-time hottest October day, the hottest being 111 degrees set in September, 1963,” he said.

“December is ending 3.3 degrees below normal, which will make it the 13th coldest dating back to 1872.”

And 1987 ended on a wet note in December, with a total monthly rainfall of 2.73 inches. Normally, December brings an average of 1.36 inches.

11.60 Inches of Rain

A total of 11.60 inches of rainfall fell on the county this year, making this the 38th wettest year on record.

Coastal highs today will be in the 60- to 65-degree range and slightly higher Saturday, with lows from 40 to 45 both days. Highs on Sunday will range from 64 to 68, with lows from 45 to 50, according to forecaster Mike Smith of WeatherData, which provides forecasts for The Times.

Surf will be 3 to 4 feet, with ocean temperature at 56 degrees.

Highs in the inland valley areas will be in low- to mid-60s, with overnight lows from 34 to 39 today.