An Early Breath of Winter Is in Store Over Weekend, Weather Service Says

A blast of cold air pouring in from the Gulf of Alaska will bring frosty temperatures and a preview of winter to San Diego this weekend, according to the National Weather Service in San Diego.

Skies will be partly cloudy today and Saturday, turning sunny on Sunday, but it will be cool during the day and cold at night, forecaster Wilbur Shigehara said.

“We’re advising the homeless shelters to open and farmers will have to take some frost protection measures Saturday and Sunday night,” he said. Christmas shoppers should bundle up against the night air and residents should take pets and plants in this weekend.

Winter is still more than a week away, but residents of inland areas such as El Cajon will find themselves scraping ice off their windshields in the mornings, Shigehara said. People who plan to visit the mountains should take special precautions and dress warmly because wind gusts can make temperatures feel 10 degrees colder, he said. “Exposure under those conditions can be dangerous.”

The weather was brought on by storms originating near Korea, Shigehara said. The rain from the storms dissipated as the storms fall apart, but the storms are bringing in a lot of cold air.

However, “next week, the last week of fall, will be really nice,” he said. “The days will warm up and there will be plenty of sunshine as winter arrives.”

Temperatures at the beaches will hover in the low 60s through this weekend, Shigehara said. The water temperature is 61, and the surf is rolling in at 2 to 3 feet.

The coastal and inland areas will experience daytime highs of 62 to 67, Shigehara said. Along the coast, he said, temperatures will dip to 42 to 50 tonight and drop down to 38 to 45 over the weekend.

Inland temperatures are expected to drop to 32 to 42 tonight and 30 to 40 with frost over the weekend.

Mountain temperatures will rise to 43 to 50 today, 37 to 45 over the weekend, Shigehara said. Nighttime temperatures will hover at 25 to 30 tonight; 20 to 28 on Saturday and in the upper teens on Sunday. Winds will gust 25 to 30 m.p.h., making temperatures feel 10 degrees colder, he said.

The deserts will also cool down with temperatures of 65 to 70 today and over the weekend, Shigehara said. Nighttime lows will range from 38 to 48 tonight and 30 to 40 over the weekend. Gusty winds up to 25 m.p.h. are also expected in the deserts.