Sun to Shine for Sports, but Sundown May Bring Chill

Lots of sunshine and low humidity, courtesy of a weak Santa Ana condition, are in store for San Diego this weekend, the National Weather Service says.

San Diegans may want to head outdoors to bask in the sunshine and enjoy the mild daytime temperatures seemingly tailor-made for outdoor sports.

However, the nighttime lows are expected to get a bit chilly.

“There will be wide swings in the temperatures,” forecaster Wilbur Shigehara said. “It looks like a nice weekend for outdoor activities. But, at night, it will be chilly enough to have frost inland and maybe a touch of frost near the beaches, but nothing too serious. Maybe some growers may want to do a touch of frost protection.”

The sunshine and dry conditions with no storms in sight for at least the next week are a concern for water conservation, Shigehara said. Entering the third year of drought, forecasters are noticing that the current wind patterns are similar to the drought patterns of 1987-88.

“It’s nice that we have lots of sunshine, but this is the time of the year that we have to accumulate rain,” Shigehara said. “The early season rains have not done much. We are at a crucial time where we should receive a lot of rain.

“This is the time we need rain. We are 20% behind schedule in rainfall (from) where we should be,” he said.

The weekend daytime temperatures are expected to fluctuate by only a few degrees.

The coastal regions will reach 63 to 68 degrees, with nighttime lows from 37 to 45, Shigehara said. Inland highs will range 65 from 72, dropping to lows of 32 to 40 degrees at night. Mountain areas are expected to hit 40 to 47 degrees during the day, falling to 20 to 30 at night. In the desert, highs of 65 to 72 and lows of 32 to 40 are expected.

High temperatures for the beaches will be 57 to 62 today through Sunday, with lows in the 40s. Waves are expected to be 3 to 4 feet, with the water temperature at 54 degrees.