Winter Warms Up a Welcome as Spring Gets Set to Take the Stage

Bask in the final days of winter. Spring arrives Tuesday, and a weak Santa Ana condition this weekend will give San Diego a sneak preview of vernal times.

Temperatures today and Saturday will break into the mid-80s inland and into the upper 70s along the coast, said Wilbur Shigehara, senior meteorologist for the National Weather Service. Sunny skies countywide and gusty winds in the mountains will accompany the warm conditions.

“Spring arrives at precisely 1:19 p.m. Tuesday, but we seem to be getting a jump on it this weekend,” Shigehara said. “We will be looking at temperatures in the mid-70s and -80s.”

The normal high for this time of year is 66 degrees, and the normal low is 52, Shigehara said. The high Thursday at Lindbergh Field was 70.

By Sunday, however, a weak storm from the Gulf of Alaska will bring patchy morning fog, cloudy afternoon skies and temperatures about five degrees lower, Shigehara said, adding that a “slim” 20% chance of rain is predicted for Monday.

Beach highs today and Saturday will range from 65 to 72, and drop to 60 and 65 Sunday, Shigehara said. The surf is at 2 to 4 feet, and the ocean temperature is 58 degrees.

Coastal highs through Saturday will range from 72 to 78, and from 71 to 75 on Sunday. Overnight lows will be between 45 and 53, Shigehara said.

Inland highs will be between 76 and 85 today and Saturday, and from 75 to near 80 on Sunday. Lows tonight and Saturday will range from 37 to 47.

Mountain highs will range from 60 to 68 through Sunday, Shigehara said. Lows tonight will be between 28 and 36, and from 30 to 40 Saturday night.

Highs in the desert will range in the mid- to upper 80s through Sunday, with nights in the mid-40s, Shigehara said.

March, normally the second wettest month of the year, has so far contributed less than one-eighth of an inch of rain to the season total of 5.57 inches, Shigehara said.