Fair Football Weather Is Forecast for Game Day

Super Bowl fans are expected to get a small dose of less-than-ideal weather this morning, as a minor storm front brings gloomy skies and a 20% chance of sprinkles to San Diego.

But forecasters expect the scattered showers to clear out by this afternoon, leaving partly cloudy skies and cooler temperatures for a weekend that includes the playing of Super Bowl XXII at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

“There is a chance of sprinkles because of a minor storm that is holding together a little longer than we expected 500 miles off the coast, but we are in no danger,” National Weather Service forecaster Wilbur Shigehara said.

After cooling a bit today, the weather will be near-perfect for the tourists who have invaded San Diego for the Super Bowl.

The weather forecast for Sunday calls for partly cloudy skies, and a game-time temperature around 65 degrees.

“It should be a real nice day for a Super Bowl, and a nice weekend for outdoor activities,” Shigehara said. “The temperatures we have been having are too warm for a Super Bowl. On Thursday the (high) temperature was 77 degrees. The weather will cool down a few degrees, and by game time they will be ideal.”

This morning’s forecast of scattered sprinkles marks the end of an unusually dry, disappointing January.

Less Rain Than Usual

“January is usually the wettest month of the year with 2.11 inches of rainfall. So far this month we have had 0.89 of an inch of rain. Although it is nowhere near the driest January on record (1958-59), we are well below the normal average,” he said. “There was more rainfall in November and December.”

The sprinkles will be accompanied by a gradual cooling trend, with temperatures in all areas of the county dropping 3 to 5 degrees over the weekend.

Highs in the coastal areas today will be around 68, with overnight lows in the low- to mid-50s. The small storm will kick up the surf a bit, with four- to five-foot waves and occasional breakers of six feet expected.

The inland areas will have highs today in the low 70s, nudging down a degree or two each day of the weekend. Lows will be in the mid-40s.

Highs in the mountain areas will be around the 50-degree mark today, again going down a degree or two Saturday and Sunday. The overnight lows will be in the high 30s.

The deserts will have highs in the low 70s throughout the weekend.