Unseasonably Cool Weather Expected to Be Around Awhile

July, you say?

Southern California will remain cooler than normal through the weekend, according to the forecasters, with continued coastal cloudiness and probable morning drizzle on the lower coastal mountain slopes.

“It will be essentially cooler through the southern part of the state,” said Matt Sullivan of Earth Environment Service, a private San Francisco-based forecasting firm, “with a little more cloudiness along the coast than we’ve been getting the past week or so.”

He said a low-pressure trough has been shaping up over the West, deepening the marine layer that has been producing those gray, cool mornings.

In Orange County Thursday temperatures reached 77 in San Juan Capistrano, 74 in Santa Ana and 72 in El Toro. But Newport Beach recorded a high of only 69. Lows ranged from 59 in El Toro to 63 in San Juan Capistrano.

The National Weather Service said there should be only partial clearing during the afternoon and evening hours along the coast. High temperatures are expected to be in the mid-to-upper 60s along the beaches and 75 to 80 degrees in the valleys. It may begin to warm up slightly by Sunday.

Thursday’s Los Angeles Civic Center high reached 78 after an overnight low of 62. Relative humidity ranged from 55% to 84%.

Mountain areas will be fair through Saturday, except for late night and morning low clouds and local gusty winds of 15 m.p.h. to 25 m.p.h. It will probably be a little cooler today with highs in the low 50s.

Deserts will be fair and a little cooler today with northern desert high temperatures from 88 to 98 degrees and southern desert highs from 97 to 103. Local gusty winds will reach 25 m.p.h. during afternoons and evenings.

The surf is expected to be two to three feet along Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles County beaches and three to four feet on the shores of Orange and San Diego counties.