Weather Due to Turn Good for Weekend

It took only one day for March to change from a lamb with a bad attitude into a snarling lion shaking its wet mane. But forecasters say San Diego will see the tail end of the rain today and can look forward to less-beastly weekend weather.

The chilly first day of the month turned into a blustery storm Thursday, dropping a quarter inch of rain on the county, whipping winds up to 25 m.p.h. and steadfastly holding temperatures in the mid- to upper-50s, said National Weather Service forecaster Wilbur Shigehara.

The high at Lindbergh Field on Thursday was 58 degrees. The normal high for March is 66 degrees, Shigehara said.

After a few showers early today, lots of sunshine and warmer daytime temperatures will reign through the weekend, making it ideal time for outdoor activities, Shigehara said.

“There will be quite a contrast this weekend,� Shigehara said. “Nights will remain pretty chilly, cooler than normal for March, but daytime temperatures will shoot up and be near seasonal.�

Shigehara said some clouds may steal across the sky late Sunday afternoon, signaling the approach of stormy weather later next week.

“Those clouds will tell us that we’re not out of the woods yet,� he said. “The nice weather, which was the rule earlier this week, will be the exception this weekend. We will have cloudy periods and a chance of showers by mid-week. People should enjoy this weekend.�

Thursday’s flexing of the March lion’s might originated from two sources. A large storm moving in from Hawaii contributed to the high winds and misty rain that was prevalent most of the day. A cold front creeping down from the Gulf of Alaska accounted for the heavier night showers and chilly temperatures, Shigehara said.

Temperature Ranges

Coastal highs today will be 59 to 62 and nudge up slightly between 62 and 67 Saturday and Sunday, Shigehara said, and overnight lows of 45 to 52 are expected both nights.

The ocean temperature is 57 and surf is 2 to 4 feet.

Inland temperatures today will be similar to those along the coast, warming up to 65 to 70 degrees Saturday and Sunday. Lows will be 36 to 46 degrees both nights, and frost might occur in some of the coldest agricultural areas in valleys, Shigehara said.

Highs in the mountains will be in the mid-40s through Sunday, and overnight lows will dip into the mid-20s, Shigehara said.

Desert highs will be 65 to 72 today, 68 to 75 Saturday and 75 to 80 Sunday. Overnight lows may touch the upper-30s tonight, but are expected to be in the mid-40s Saturday night, Shigehara said.