Mercury to Drop to Normal Range

The heat wave is over for now, but the humidity that has been keeping San Diego hot and sticky will remain through the weekend, weather forecasters predict.

“The sea breeze has returned and cooled us off considerably, and that’s pretty much the story up and down the coastal sections,” said Richard Stitt of the National Weather Service.

Today and the rest of the week will see the return of the usual night and morning low clouds, along with some added cloudiness during the day along the coast, Stitt said. Temperatures have dropped from the scalding highs of the holiday weekend to the mid-70s range, normal for this time of year, Stitt said.

Moist air blowing in from Mexico and Arizona will keep the humidity up to unusual levels, however. Humidity was 80% on the coast Wednesday, and 50-60% inland, according to Stitt, whereas normal humidity for September is about 40%. The excess moisture will also cause some afternoon thunderstorms in the mountains and deserts.

Borrego Springs was the county’s hot spot Wednesday, with a high temperature of 109.