End of San Diego’s Driest Year Nears as Mild Weather Continues

It’s almost embarrassing. Winter officially arrived at 1:22 p.m. Thursday and, while much of the rest of the country was being buried under snow and buffeted by strong winds, the best San Diego could muster was 600 minutes of hazy sunshine.

True, the high here Thursday was a bracing 64 degrees, but it’s hard to complain when contrasted with the 43 degrees below zero in Havre, Mont. San Diego’s extended holiday forecast is for slight warming.

There will be some patchy fog tonight along the coast and inland, said National Weather Service forecaster Wilbur Shigehara.

A high pressure system hovering over the west is protecting Southern California from the storms affecting the rest of the country, Shigehara said. If the dry, clear weather continues through to the new year as expected, 1989 will go down as the driest year on record in San Diego, Shigehara said.

There has been only 2.82 inches of rain since Jan 1, Shigehara said. The driest year on record was 1863, with 3.02 inches.

Beach highs today will range from 58 to 63 degrees, rising between 60 and 65 on the weekend, Shigehara said. The surf is holding steady at 3 feet, and the ocean water temperature is a chilly 59 degrees.

Highs along the coast today are expected to range from 63 to 68 degrees. Highs Saturday through Christmas Day will be from 67 to 72, Shigehara said.

Coastal lows of 43 to 53 are forecast tonight, 40 to 50 Saturday and Sunday.

Inland highs today will range from 65 to 72, and from 68 to 75 Saturday through Monday. Overnight lows through Christmas Eve will be from 35 to 40, Shigehara said.

There may be light frost at night in some of the coldest inland areas, but nothing threatening to local agriculture, Shigehara said.

Daytime temperatures in the mountains are projected to hold in the mid-50s through Christmas Day. Overnight lows will range from 23 to 33.

Desert highs today will range from 70 to 75 degrees, and be near 80 Sunday and Christmas Day, Shigehara said. Lows will be in the low 30s.