Santa Ana Winds to Bring Weekend Warming Trend

Santa Ana winds will bring sunny skies and higher temperatures to San Diego this weekend, the weather service said.

“It will be a pleasant weekend, nice and sunny,” said Dan Atkin of the National Weather Service in San Diego.

A budding high pressure system over San Diego will team with the dry winds to deliver the Indian summer skies, Atkin said. The Santa Ana winds will peak Saturday, he said.

The Santa Ana wind condition is a weather phenomenon that has little to do with the city in Orange County, Atkin noted.

“Santa Anas are dry, offshore winds blowing generally from the Great Basin area in the Utah-Nevada area,” Atkin said. “The winds warm up as they come to the lower elevations, passing through the Tejon Pass, the Cajon Pass and . . . (Interstate) 8.”

Beach temperatures today are expected to peak near 70 degrees. Saturday and Sunday, temperatures should be 73 to 79. Lows at the beaches will be in the upper 50s, Atkin said.

Surfers and swimmers can expect waves of 3 to 5 feet, and a water temperature of 61 degrees.

The downtown and coastal area can expect a high today near 75 degrees. As the winds increase Saturday and Sunday, temperatures in the coastal area may reach 80 degrees, Atkin said. Lows all weekend should be close to 50 degrees.

The weather service expects highs in the inland area today in the upper 70s. Highs Saturday and Sundays should be in the 80s. Lows this weekend will be 37 to 45 degrees, the weather service said.

Temperatures in the mountains will hover near 65 degrees all weekend, Atkin said. Low temperatures will be in the 30s. Atkin cautioned that the mountains and deserts can expect dust and sand swirls this weekend.

The deserts will have high temperatures in the 70s, with lows mostly in the 40s, the weather service said.