Storm May Skirt S.D. This Weekend

A major spring storm is brewing over the Rocky Mountains, but the rains will probably skirt San Diego this weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

“It’s going to be a close call,” said San Diego forecaster Wilbur Shigehara. “As the storm intensifies over the West, clouds may thicken enough to give us drizzle Sunday morning.”

The storm is developing from a deepening low-pressure front and will dump rain from the Pacific Northwest throughout Northern California, Shigehara said.

Heavy mists or drizzles will reach San Diego by Sunday, but San Diego will escape the heavy showers forecast for the northwest over the weekend. But there is a slim chance the showers could roll in early next week, he said.

In the meantime, the weak Santa Ana winds that raised temperatures a degree or two above the seasonal norm of 68 on Thursday will give way to a weak coastal eddy, Shigehara said. The coastal flow will bring increasing night and morning fog and clouds today and slowly push the temperature downward.

“We’ll hover at about 69 degrees today, and by Saturday we’ll be close to the seasonal norm of about 67 or 68 for Lindbergh Field,” he said. Daytime skies will be sunny today and Saturday except for cloudiness at the beaches.

“It’s not really beach weather,” he said. “Clouds are already clinging to our coast, and we can see the fog bank.”

Beach temperatures will range from 64 to 68 today and Saturday, dropping to 62 to 66 by Sunday, Shigehara said. The water temperature is holding at 63 degrees, and waves are rolling in at 3 to 4 feet.

Coastal temperatures in the 68 to 74 range are expected today, rising a couple of degrees on Saturday. Nights are expected to cool down to 52 to 60.

The weather will be “pretty warm today for folks visiting the Wild Animal Park and other inland areas such as El Cajon,” Shigehara said. Temperatures will rise to 75 to 80 today, but begin falling Saturday, settling between 68 and 75 on Sunday, he said. Nighttime temperatures ranging from 48 to 55 are forecast.

Skies over the mountain and desert areas will be fair today, with lots of stars visible tonight, said Shigehara. But the clouds will start pushing in by Saturday.

“I think the rain will hold off for the mountain and desert areas” on Sunday, but winds will blow in from the west at gusts up to 25 m.p.h., Shigehara said. Southwesterly winds in the coastal areas may reach 20 m.p.h. Sunday.

Temperatures in the mountains may reach up to 70 today and Saturday, but slide down to 62 to 68 on Sunday. Nighttime lows will dip down into the 30- to 40-degree range. In the deserts, “think warm,” Shigehara said. Temperatures will hit the middle 90s today and Saturday, dropping to 84 to 88 on Sunday, he said. Nighttime lows are expected to hover between 52 to 58 over the weekend.