Gray Mornings, Sunny Afternoons Is the Forecast

Morning low clouds and partially clearing skies in the afternoon, with daytime temperatures in the low 70s, should be on tap for most of Southern California this weekend, forecasters said.

Mike Smith, a meteorologist for WeatherData which provides forecasts for The Times, said the mostly gray skies are the product of a weak low-pressure system over the inland deserts and a high-pressure front off the coast. The result, he said, is a marine layer of clouds--reaching almost 3,000 feet in altitude--that should prevail for the next few days.

“It’s a pretty stagnant weather pattern,” he said. “In some areas, the clouds will stick around all day long.”

And there’s a chance the clouds could even produce some showering mist by Sunday morning, he said.

Temperatures through the weekend should be comfortable with daytime highs ranging from 68 to 73 along the coast to high 70s in the inland valleys. The lows are expected to be in the high 50s and low 60s along the coast and in the valleys, respectively.

Thursday’s high in Santa Ana reached 75 degrees, the National Weather Service reported, and 69 degrees in El Toro. The overnight low was expected to reach 54.