Shifting Air Expected to Take Frost From Weekend Weather

After two days of dangerously cold temperatures that damaged crops and brought snow flurries and bitter winds to the county, a shift in the air pattern today will bring slightly warmer weather, the National Weather Service said.

Wilbur Shigehara, senior meteorologist for the service, said the weekend warming trend, although signaling no heat wave, will bring a respite to local avocado and strawberry growers who have been battling frost damage since Wednesday. A frost advisory issued Wednesday night will be lifted tonight, Shigehara said.

In an effort to help the homeless, downtown shelters expanded their facilities Wednesday and Thursday under a city policy that allows them to add beds when temperatures are expected to fall to the 35- to 40-degree range.

Emergency shelters for the homeless were also opened by the county both nights at the National Guard armories in Vista and El Cajon.

The cold Siberian air mass that blasted San Diego will give way this weekend to a gradual westerly shift in the wind, causing temperatures to rise 3 to 5 degrees, Shigehara said. Temperatures will hover in the low-to-mid 60s in most of the county, he said.

A storm off the Pacific Northwest will bring partly cloudy skies to San Diego through Presidents’ Day, Shigehara said. There will be a 30% chance of rain Sunday that could extend into Monday morning, he said.

Temperatures at the beaches today will rise to between 55 and 60 degrees before leveling off for the weekend, Shigehara said. The ocean water is 58 degrees, and the surf is at 3 to 5 feet.

Coastal highs today will range from 57 to 63 and from 60 to 66 through the long weekend. Overnight lows along the coast will range from 38 to 46 tonight and 42 to 52 Saturday and Sunday nights, Shigehara said.

Inland daytime temperatures will be similar to those along the coast, but overnight lows will hover in the low 30s, Shigehara said. A low of 30 to 40 degrees is forecast tonight, 35 to 45 on the weekend, he said.

Mountain highs are expected to range from 32 to 38 today, 38 to 43 Saturday through Monday. Nights will still be below freezing--in the low-to-mid 20s--and Sunday’s rain could bring snow to the 5,500-foot-level, Shigehara said.

Desert temperatures will struggle to rise to 60 degrees today and to between 62 and 68 on the weekend. Overnight lows will be from 30 to 40 tonight and 34 to 44 Saturday and Sunday, Shigehara said.

Times staff writer G. Jeanette Avent contributed to this report.