Time to Lighten Up After Week of Gray Days

Relief is in sight for Southern Californians suffering from weather blahs because of a succession of gray, overcast days and cool temperatures. It’s supposed to be a “very nice weekend.”

Meteorologist Patricia Cooper of WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times, expects the improving trend to start today, with mostly sunny skies and warmer temperatures--ranging from the upper 60s at the beaches to the 70s and 80s inland.

There will be a few clouds, according to Cooper, but the marine layer will not be as deep, and that means clearing skies, at least through most of Sunday.

“By the first of next week, we can see more clouds across the area,” Cooper said. “It’s going to be a kind of brief respite, but it should be a very nice weekend.”

The gray days that have aggravated sun lovers so much were the handiwork of a lingering low-pressure area that is now moving east into the Central Plains, making way for a high-pressure area over Southern California, Cooper said.

What that means is that, whether you go to the beach, the mountains or desert this weekend, it should be nice.

The only minor exception will be in the deserts, where gusty winds and blowing sand are expected today. The gusts are expected to be lighter on Saturday.

Motorists heading into the northern deserts and Owens Valley were advised Thursday to expect blowing sand and winds up to 45 m.p.h. Drivers of campers and trailers were warned to use extra caution.

Low-Pressure Front

The winds were being whipped up by a low-pressure front extending from the northern Rockies to Nevada and Arizona.

Those heading to Nevada for the weekend can expect temperatures at night to drop to freezing in some protected areas in the north.

Stay-at-homes can expect lows in the 50s and low 60s in the coastal areas of Southern California, with temperatures dropping into the mid-30s to mid-40s in the mountains at night.

Bay Area weekend travelers can expect mostly sunny skies with highs ranging from the upper 60s to near 80.