The weather will take a drastic shift on Saturday, turning from summer-like weather to chilly, windy and possibly rainy – with a strong swell roaring into the region.
The temperatures throughout Southern California, which reached into the 90s this week, will dip into a more seasonable mid-to-upper 60s Saturday and some areas may even get a drizzle.
“We do have a chance of rain (Saturday) afternoon and night, just some scattered light showers moving toward the area,” said James Brotherton, meteorologist for the National Weather Service.
Beachgoers hang out near the Huntington Beach Pier in Huntington Beach, CA, on Friday, October 21, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Rainfall will only be 1/10th of an inch or less, “a gentle rain shower,” he said.
The change will be short lived. Temps will nudge back up throughout the region to low 70s by Sunday and then shoot back up to mid 70s by early next week, according to NWS.
Areas of Riverside and the mountain regions will be slightly cooler and the mountains will be brisk and windy, with a high wind warning in affect from 11 a.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday, with southwest winds expected to be 25-to-35 mph with gusts up to 70 mph.
The desert could see dust storms due to the wind, Brotherton said.
“Definitely use caution if you’ll be traveling outside of the metropolitan area,” he said.
If the colder weather isn’t enough to deter you from the beach, be warned that a big swell is brewing, expected to bring 4-foot to 7-foot surf in areas of Orange County and slightly smaller, but still sizable, in Los Angeles County, through the weekend.
“The highest surf will be found on south-facing beaches,” said Brotherton. “Strong rip currents will be a concern, swimming will be dangerous for less-experienced swimmers. This weekend there will be pretty heavy surf at a lot of beaches.”
Be warned of dangerous waves and rip currents if headed to the coast this weekend.(File photo by Ana Venegas, Orange County Register/SCNG)
By Monday, the surf will start to drop, though still will pack a punch. Big waves will linger until mid-week, before dropping to 2 feet to 3 feet later in the week.
High tides in the morning hours, at 5.5 feet by 8:30 a.m. Monday and getting larger each following day into the 6-foot range, will mean little sand space at some beaches and possibly more erosion at some areas already battered by strong storm surges.
“I don’t think it’s quite to the flooding level,” Brotherton said. “A few spots could see water seeping into those low-lying spots.”
Winds will also be gusty near the coast, around 20 mph or so, he said. While there’s no small craft advisory issued, boaters should be aware of strong winds.
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