Cooler Weather Signaling Autumn’s Advent

It looks like it’s all over--summer, that is. San Diegans saw the last dazzling rays of summer sunshine and felt the final blast of dog-day heat over the Labor Day Weekend.

Fall is on the way, the National Weather Service said.

The cool temperatures and hazy skies that dominated this week’s weather are expected to prevail through the middle of next week, when summer officially ends on Wednesday, forecaster Wilbur Shigehara said.

“A hint of fall is in the air. We’re going into this cooling trend,” Shigehara said. “We’re going to have a repeat performance of this week’s cool weather, with the clouds hanging around a lot longer.”

Those persistent clouds may even bank up to the 4,000-foot-level, Shigehara said. “Those coastal clouds will be seen as high up as Alpine and Ramona.”

However, some afternoon sunshine is expected to peek through the low-lying night and morning clouds, he said.

A series of low-pressure systems passing through San Diego from the Gulf of Alaska is responsible for the murky skies and chilly temperatures, Shigehara said. This is considered a strange occurrence for September, and normally doesn’t happen until October, he said.

Pleasant Temperatures

High temperatures today along the coast are expected to range from 72 to 76 degrees. As the cooling trend continues, temperatures on Saturday are expected to be from 70 to 75, on Sunday 68 to 72. Nighttime lows for the entire weekend will range from 62 to 67.

The surf is 2 to 4 feet. Ocean water temperature is 67.

Shigehara said the inland areas will start the weekend with “very pleasant temperatures,” from 76 to 84 today, cooling to 75 to 80 degrees Saturday. The forecast calls for Sunday to be cooler still, with highs from 74 to 78. Overnight lows are to range from 55 to 63.

Mountain temperatures will range in the middle 70s to low 80s today, and drop to 75 to 80 Saturday, forecasters said. The mercury will stay in the middle 70s on Sunday, Shigehara said.