Pockets of dense fog extend from the coast to the valleys again on Saturday morning, lowering visibility to a quarter mile or less, causing delays for thousands of travelers at the San Diego International Airport.
A dense fog advisory was in effect till 9 a.m., but there were still plenty of pockets of fog around the region at that time, especially along the coast. Fog will return tonight with cool temperatures in the low 40s for some coastal areas and inland valleys.
Officials at SAN were urging travelers — holiday or otherwise — to check with their carriers before heading down to Harbor Drive and the airport.
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A quick check of the airport's Flight Status site, which can be found here, showed more than a hundred flights delayed or canceled on Saturday at around 9 a.m. Hours later, close to 1 p.m., the situation remained the same, with the vast majority of air traffic still listed as delayed, with just a few during the next several hours posting an "on time" status. Unfortunately for air travelers, that was still much the case by 7 p.m..
— San Diego Airport (@SanDiegoAirport) December 21, 2024
SATURDAY'S WEATHER
Local
Temperatures will trend about five degrees cooler for inland valleys on Saturday, but that is still above normal for this time of the year. High-level clouds will stream across our valleys as well, with a deeper marine layer expected to take over the coast. Coastal temperatures will be near seasonal but cool, in the low 60s.
High Surf
A high-surf advisory will be in effect from Saturday night through Wednesday morning due to large breaking waves ranging from 6 to 10 feet and some reaching up to 13 feet. There will also be a high risk of strong rip currents, making it dangerous for both surfers and swimmers. The surf could cause minor flooding in low-lying areas along the beach, boardwalks and like parking lots.
FORECAST
Temperatures will rise slightly on Monday, but a cold front sweeping across Southern California on Christmas Eve will drop temperatures to near or below average on Tuesday. Besides the cooldown, the cold front may bring a chance for light rain showers and gusty winds.
It looks like the rain will be light at this point, with about a 20-40% chance of 0.10-0.25 an inch. The system should be quick moving, leaving behind dry weather for Christmas Day.
Dry weather will prevail toward the end of the Holiday week.
SATURDAY:
- Coast: A.M. fog; mostly sunny, mid- to low 60s
- Valleys: A.M. fog; mostly sunny, mid- to low 70s
- Mountains: mostly sunny, mid- to low 60s
- Desert: mostly sunny - upper 70s
