Santa Ana Spell Expected to Be Short-Lived, Forecasters Say

A mild Santa Ana blew dry heat through San Diego’s coastal canyons and mountain passes Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.

At 2 p.m. the temperature at Lindbergh Field reached a high of 88 degrees, said Richard Stitt, a weather service forecaster. The highest recorded temperature for the date is 91, set in 1974.

The humidity low was 18%. The average humidity for this time of year hovers around 60%, Stitt said.

Winds were strongest on the coast, measuring 25 m.p.h. in areas between Oceanside and Point Loma, he said. The desert and inland areas, generally subject to strong gusts during Santa Anas, reported mild winds.

Tuesday’s heat wave was expected to be short-lived, Stitt said, with temperatures and breezes returning to seasonal norms beginning today.

Today and Thursday, temperatures are expected to reach the upper 70s and low 80s, Stitt said. But another westbound inland pressure system may bring warm, dry weather back for the weekend.

“Watch for the offshore flow,” Stitt said.