Sunshine and Santa Anas in Weekend Forecast

Dry, gusty air, lots of sunshine and a few wispy clouds are on the horizon for San Diegans this weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

The Santa Ana winds are gradually going away but will gather strength for one last blow Saturday, forecaster Wilbur Shigehara said.

“Winds will be light and gentle today, but the gusty Santa Ana winds will return on Saturday before fading away on Sunday,” Shigehara said.

In the mountains, the Santa Anas may reach 20 to 40 m.p.h. and may also surface in the coastal valleys and canyons, he said.

Temperatures will be mild during the day and chilly at night, he said. “We’re getting reports of frost in Escondido, but it is not serious for agricultural growers.”

Beach temperatures may hit a high of 68 degrees today and range from 66 to 70 on Saturday before falling 1 or 2 degrees on Sunday.

The ocean temperature will be 61 degrees, with waves reaching 2 to 3 feet at 12-second intervals. High tides for the month are predicted on Dec. 12 at 7.7 feet. Coastal temperatures will range from 68 to 74 today and rise to about 78 Saturday before falling 2 to 3 degrees Sunday. Night temperatures over the weekend are expected to dip into the 40s.

Inland residents will experience highs in the 73- to 78-degree range today, with temperatures rising to a high of 82 on Saturday before falling slightly Sunday. Nights will bring light frost and temperatures in the 34- to 44-degree range.

“The coldest temperature in the agricultural areas should bottom out at 30 degrees, but it will be nothing serious,” Shigehara said.

In the mountains, today’s high will be 46 to 54, dropping a couple of degrees over the weekend. Night temperatures will be 25 to 35 degrees, he said.

In the deserts, the temperature will range from 68 to 75 today and go up over the weekend a few degrees. Overnight lows will range from 35 to 45.

Shigehara predicted mild temperatures and little rainfall for the month. “December doesn’t look like too radical a change from November,” he said. “December looks like an extension of what’s been happening, with highs of about 66 during the day and 48 at night.”

A more dramatic change in the weather will come in January, normally the wettest month in the year with about 2.11 inches of rainfall, Shigehara said.