After a stretch of unusually hot and humid weather, San Diego County is finally getting some relief as a cooling and drying trend takes hold this weekend.
Temperatures Saturday will be noticeably more comfortable compared with the heat earlier this week, although inland communities will still be warm.
The return of the marine layer will also bring more low clouds to coastal communities during the overnight and morning hours. Those clouds are expected to gradually push farther inland into portions of the western valleys over the next several mornings, with some patchy fog possible.
Most of the clouds will clear back toward the coastline by late morning, leaving behind plenty of sunshine for Saturday afternoon.
The cooldown becomes even more noticeable Sunday, when temperatures are expected to fall another 3 to 5 degrees across the region. That should bring daytime highs and overnight lows much closer to average for the middle of September.
The cooling trend is expected to continue into Monday and Tuesday.
By early next week, temperatures could actually fall a few degrees below average. Coastal highs could drop into the mid-70s, while many interior valleys only climb to around 90 degrees.
It will also feel significantly cooler overnight.
By Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, some interior valleys could fall into the mid-50s. Communities across the coastal basin will generally fall into the lower 60s, providing a much cooler start to the day compared with the warm and muggy nights San Diego County experienced during the recent heat wave.
The cooler weather, however, may not last through the end of next week.
Forecast models indicate high pressure could begin expanding back toward Southern California by Wednesday and beyond. While there is still uncertainty over exactly how strong the ridge will become, inland temperatures could eventually climb another 5 to 15 degrees.
How much warming reaches the coast will depend heavily on the position of the ridge and how strong the marine layer remains.
For now, San Diego County can expect a much more comfortable weekend and start to next week, with cooler temperatures, lower humidity and the return of more familiar September morning clouds.
TODAY'S HIGH TEMPERATURE RANGES
COAST: 77–84°
INLAND VALLEYS: 84–93°
MOUNTAINS: 76–86°
DESERTS: 100–107°
