Sunny Skies, Warmer Days for Memorial Day Weekend

This Memorial Day weekend will feature typically warm and sunny afternoons perfect for camping, picnics, the beaches and outdoor barbecues, forecasters said.

Memorial Day, first observed shortly after the Civil War, initially served as a day to remember soldiers killed in battle but since then has been extended for remembering dead relatives and friends.

Under expected sunny skies at San Luis Rey Mission in Oceanside, Marines from Camp Pendleton will honor that tradition during Memorial Day ceremonies that begin at 10 a.m. The remembrance, which is open to the public, will feature the Marine Color Guard, a 21-gun salute and a wreath-laying ceremony.

Temperatures that dropped a bit during the week will begin to climb again this weekend, said Wilbur Shigehara, chief forecaster for the National Weather Service in San Diego.

Though the temperatures should rise slightly all weekend, the night and morning low clouds will remain a fixture, Shigehara said.

At the beaches, the high temperatures will climb into the 70s during the three-day weekend. The water temperature will be at a constant 68 degrees, with waves cresting at about 3 feet all weekend, Shigehara said.

Temperatures in the coastal area have hovered about 5 degrees above normal for this time of year, Shigehara said. A high of 69 degrees is usual for Lindbergh Field at this time of year, but highs there should peak near 75 degrees this weekend, the forecaster said. Low temperatures in the coastal area will be near 62 degrees all weekend, he said.

The inland areas should have a high temperature between 75 and 80 degrees today, but will rise a few degrees throughout the weekend, Shigehara said. The low temperatures this weekend will be near 60 degrees, he said.

A high temperature of 75 degrees is expected in the mountains this weekend, Shigehara said. The low temperature will be near 45, he said.

In the deserts, the high temperatures will soar to near 100 degrees today and should climb over the century mark during the rest of the weekend, with lows in the 60s, Shigehara said.