San Diegans experienced a touch of respite from the heat on Friday, as temperatures dipped slightly below seasonal averages for most, while the lower deserts continued to simmer above the norm. The National Weather Service (NWS) San Diego reported that besides the cooler shift in the region, the lower deserts stubbornly stood their ground with somewhat elevated temperatures.

High temperatures today slightly below averages for most areas except still a little above normal for the lower deserts #cawx pic.twitter.com/iq2ijHL6nZ

— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) April 19, 2024

While coastal areas and valleys felt a few degrees of cooling, mountainous regions ranged in the comfortable mid 50s to mid 60s for those residing in elevations from 4500 to 7000 feet. In contrast, the shades and haunts of the Palm Canyon Oasis, and beyond in the lower deserts, continued to warm the air with highs punching into the mid 90s. Blustery conditions also swept through, with areas experiencing "gusty southwest to west winds for the mountains and deserts for this afternoon into tonight," including gusts reaching 45 to 55 mph, and isolated bursts up to a formidable 65 mph in parts of the Coachella Valley, as weather.gov details.

But don't stow away your fans just yet. Forecasters have pegged another climb in the mercury come Saturday, especially for those at lower elevations and in the mountains, where a temperature bump of about 5 degrees is expected. Coastal dwellers will hover in the mid 60s, while valley folks are slated to bask in up to a cozy 80 degrees. Meanwhile, the Apple and Lucerne Valleys and the lower deserts brace for the upper 80s and mid 90s again, cementing a trend of unyielding warmth.

Sunday promises to crank up the heat even further, especially for the inland valleys, which could see a spike of 5 to 10 degrees — casting a wide net of heat that looks to snap a few degrees above average near the coast, and 10 to 15 degrees above the norm inland. "Highs around 70 near the coast to the mid 70s to lower 80s for the San Diego County valleys and the 80s for the Inland Empire, in the 80s for the Apple and Lucerne Valleys, mostly in the 90s for the lower deserts, and in the mid 60s to mid 70s for the mountains for elevations from 4500 to 7000 feet," according to the forecast by the NWS. With the wealth of sunshine and heat, San Diegans will have ample reason to seek out their favored cool spots until this wave of warmth wanes.