Southern California braces for a bout of Santa Ana winds this weekend, with gusts up to 35 mph set to hit the coastal mountain slopes and inland valleys. The National Weather Service San Diego reports that these offshore flows, typical of the region's climate, will bring slightly cooler temperatures than Friday's highs but will still remain warm.
Patchy, dense fog near the coast has also been forecast, potentially affecting visibility through Saturday morning. "Santa Ana winds will return along and below the coastal slopes of the mountains on Saturday and diminish on Sunday with the stronger gusts to around 35 mph," according to the NWS San Diego's Area Forecast Discussion. Meanwhile, valley temperatures are expected to continue to soar up to 10 to 15 degrees above average through Sunday. There will be a slight decrease in the early to middle part of next week.
The NWS San Diego's report outlines the short-term weather patterns, noting minor day-to-day temperature fluctuations through Sunday before a gradual cooling trend. Despite the warm weekend, high temperatures are expected to range from the lower 70s near the coast to the mid-80s in the valleys—well above average for this time of year.
The long-term forecast indicates a weakening high pressure near the West Coast, leading to a slow cooldown Monday and Tuesday, and a little greater cooling for Wednesday and Thursday. Chances for rainfall are slowly increasing throughout the week, with probabilities still under 10 percent through Thursday, rising to about 20 percent by next Friday.
Marine conditions, aside from the patchy fog that could bring visibility down less than 1 nautical mile, are expected to remain non-hazardous through Tuesday. Inland, northeast winds of 25 to 30 knots may impact areas below Cajon Pass and parts of the northern Inland Empire today and into the night. While Skywarn activation is not requested, local weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather phenomena as they occur.
