Ahoy!
Our gray, drizzly weather is leaving the area this weekend as a high pressure system moves into the southland. Finally, I am predicting that our coastal air temperatures will warm up, with Saturday reaching into the high 70s and Sunday maybe into the low 80s. The inland air temperatures will be about 10 degrees warmer in the daytime and might hit the 90s in Irvine.
This means the morning fog and marine layer should be minimal this weekend, with clear skies for your outdoor activities and boating. Sailors can expect winds from the west at about 10 knots, consistent in the afternoons. If you will be sailing in the harbor then you can expect more than a 4-foot difference between the high morning tides and low afternoon tides – as always please check your tide book.
The swells are decreasing, with mid-San Pedro Channel at about 2 feet, and you can expect along the coast about 1-foot swells from the west and south. It will be a mixed set, but if predictions hold true then you will not feel it. Wind waves will be 1 foot and maybe reaching 2 feet later in the afternoons from the sun’s rays hitting the cold water and creating thermals. The ocean temperatures have warmed a few degrees to the mid-60s, but that’s still chilly waters for swimming and fishing. It’s the same water temperature reported by the buoy in Lake St. Clair, which lies between Michigan and Canada.
Tropical Depression Georgette is active and should head northerly up the Gulf of California. This system has the potential to push tropical weather into our area next week if the system does not diminish.
With an eye to the north, as always, boaters off Point Conception will continue to see a northwest swell of approximately 7 feet, with a small 1-foot south that those traveling uphill around the point will find a challenge for small craft. However, the northwest winds will drop to only 10 knots, thus will not push the swells closer together for increased intervals in the double digits.
I hope everyone enjoys the beautiful cool weekend and goes whale watching.
Safe Voyages,
Mike Whitehead, Capt.
