Low Clouds Should Clear by Weekend

Low-lying coastal clouds that left some area residents with damp morning newspapers Tuesday should move out by the weekend, making way for clear afternoons and hot temperatures inland, meteorologists said.

The dense clouds left traces of moisture in much of the western half of the county and barely measurable rainfall in Ventura and Oxnard on Tuesday.

The moisture along the coast and unseasonably cool weather throughout the county have also helped keep smog levels very low, said Kent Field, meteorologist with the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District.

“This weather is phenomenally different” from normal years, Field said. “We’re seeing high temperatures in the 70s in the county when usually this time of year high temperatures in the valleys are in the 80s and 90s.”

Curtis Brack, meteorologist with Weather Data Inc., said normal temperatures would return by Friday or Saturday, when the dense marine layer is broken up by a high-pressure ridge.

“That should break down the marine layer and begin clearing things out somewhat,” he said.

The moist weather can cause damage to vegetable crops in the ground this time of year when temperatures are warm, said David Buettner, deputy agricultural commissioner. But because the damp weather has brought cooler temperatures, it is unlikely that mold or leaf spots will attack the crops, he said.

“Berries are not in the ground right now, so our primary concern would be vegetables,” he said. “But slight moisture like this doesn’t cause a real problem.”