The strong Santa Ana winds that usually begin blowing across San Diego County in October have largely been a no-show, and it’s possible that things will stay that way until Halloween, the National Weather Service said.
The absence of the dry, hot offshore winds also means that countywide temperatures will remain fairly mild.
Daytime highs along the coast will be 2 to 3 degrees above average Tuesday and Wednesday, then will slowly drop below average later in the week. Areas a few miles from the ocean will reach the low 80s over the next couple of days, and Borrego Springs could hit 100, which is rare this time of year. Inland areas will then cool off going into the weekend.
Forecasters say temperatures will get chilly at night this weekend, dropping into the mid-60s Saturday when Mariachi Los Comperos performs at a Día de los Muertos celebration at the Rady Shell on San Diego Bay, starting at 6 p.m., and at UC San Diego’s outdoor Epstein Family Amphitheater, where actress Laura Linney and artist Jeppe Hein will discuss art, mental health and mindfulness, beginning at 7 p.m.
Forecast models indicate that a low pressure system could move in on Sunday or Monday, bringing lower temperatures, a strong marine layer and an uptick in winds. But there’s no clear indication that powerful Santa Anas will arrive anytime soon.
“The lack of strong winds in October is good news,” said Brandt Maxwell, a weather service forecaster who is an expert on wildfire conditions. “But we also haven’t received any rain to reduce the chance of wildfires.”
