Spinoff of Hurricane Hector : Muggy Weekend Forecast for San Diego

It’s that time of year again: Break out the deluxe oscillating fan--the kind that doesn’t make any noise so it can be left on in the bedroom all night--and run around the house in shorts and sleeveless shirts . . . or less.

San Diegans will get a double whammy this first August weekend when muggy temperatures and mottled skies envelop the county, according to the National Weather Service.

Hector a Factor

The high humidity, which will range from 65% and 70% on Saturday and Sunday, has two sources, forecaster Wilbur Shigehara said. Subtropical winds wafting up from mainland Mexico and Hurricane Hector, moving up from the southwest, are contributing factors to the sticky, cloudy forecast.

Hector is about 800 miles south of San Diego, is moving slowly northwest and is expected to bring its moisture into the county by Friday, Shigehara said.

The weakening hurricane will probably cause afternoon and early-evening thunderstorms in the mountains and deserts while bringing humidity with partly cloudy skies to the rest of the county.

“Hurricane Hector should dissipate before reaching us, but all the moisture and heat will flow in here ultimately,” Shigehara said. “Hector is a really slow mover . . . he’s not doing much. But he is throwing out clouds, and people should watch out for those afternoon and evening thunderstorms in the mountains and deserts.”

Almost Normal Thursday

The high at Lindbergh Field hit 76 Thursday, one degree shy of normal for the date. Temperatures along the coast and inland areas will not vary much over the weekend, and will be seasonal, Shigehara said.

Coastal highs will be 75 to 80 today through Sunday. Lows will be in the 65- to 70-degree range.

Surf--affected only slightly by Hurricane Hector, according to Shigehara--will be 3 to 5 feet, with ocean temperature near 69 degrees.

Inland valleys will have highs of 80 to 90 through Sunday, and overnight lows will be 60 to 67, the forecast says.

Mountains will have daytime highs of 75 to 85, with overnight lows in the 55- to 62-degree range. The desert, which has experienced high and dry temperatures this week, will be increasingly muggy through the weekend, and highs will be 100 to 107.