Fourth of July Weekend Will Be Warm One

It is that time of year when Southern California’s weather forecast could practically be Xeroxed from day to day without too much fear that the prediction would be very far off.

Chance of Thunderstorms

Aside from some early morning coastal fog, the Fourth of July weekend will be mostly sunny, with high temperatures ranging from the 70s along the coast to the 90s inland, forecasters said.

The northern deserts will top out at 105, and the southern deserts will range from 100 to 112.

About the only possible disruption to an otherwise ideal weekend is the remote chance that mountain and desert areas could see some isolated thunderstorms as early as Sunday, said Dave Beusterien, a meteorologist with WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times.

A high-pressure system over the West is drawing moisture north from Mexico, creating what meteorologists call a monsoon condition, Beusterien explained. As temperatures rise during the afternoon, this moisture-laden air becomes unstable, leading to the possibility of isolated thundershowers, he said.

High temperatures in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains will range from 75 and 85 under mostly sunny skies.

With inland temperatures in the Los Angeles area pushing toward 90, county lifeguards are projecting “maximum” crowds at the beaches.

“It’s not uncommon to get a million people at county beaches on a hot Fourth of July,” Lifeguard Capt. Gary Crum said.

Travelers to the Bay Area will also find coastal low clouds and fog in the morning, and high temperatures will be very similar to those in the south--60s to mid-70s along the coast and 80s to 90s inland.