Heat Pattern Breaks, Cooler Days Ahead

The three-day streak of record-high temperatures that brought sweltering days to San Diego County this week ended Saturday, but unseasonal April warmth continued to send waves of people to the beaches.

A fourth, consecutive record temperature was missed Saturday when the mercury stopped climbing at 80 degrees--2 degrees shy of the record temperature for April 8, according to Harvey Hastrup, a forecaster with the National Weather Service. The record of 82 degrees was set in 1885.

After four straight 90-degree-plus days, Saturday’s slight temperature drop was a welcome relief, even though temperatures remained far above normal for April.

“We’ve been above the average every day so far,” Hastrup said. Average April temperatures range from a high of 68 degrees to a low of 54 degrees.

The drop in temperatures that began Saturday is expected to continue for the next several days, with temperatures returning to seasonal standards by Tuesday or Wednesday, Hastrup added.

The current heat wave began Tuesday, when a high pressure system developed off the coast, pushing a blast of warm air into the Southland and blocking cooler sea breezes. As that pressure system moves eastward, temperatures should drop, Hastrup said.

But until then, throngs of people are likely to continue heading to the beaches.

More than 7,000 people stretched out in the sand at south Pacific Beach, according to lifeguard Matt Rowland.

“That’s like a fairly typical holiday crowd,” Rowland said. “With the Santa Ana breaking down, it’s been a little bit milder. We’ve even had some pretty thick clouds out here.”

The cooling trend should be more noticeable today , with temperatures expected to range between a comfortable 70 and 75 degrees at the beaches, forecasters said.

Along the coast, temperatures today may reach the 80s, with lows expected between 58 and 63.

In the inland areas, the mercury is expected to climb into the 90s, with nighttime lows between 50 and 58 degrees. In the desert, however, temperatures could soar as high as 110 degrees, with lows between 64 and 72.