Having trouble falling asleep? You’ve got company. Distinct changes in San Diego County’s seasonal weather are making it hard to catch some Zzzs. And things won’t get better before Sunday, says the National Weather Service.
The main culprit is the sultry monsoonal air that’s been flowing up and along the county’s coastline from the south-southeast. It has been present much of the summer, but has been especially oppressive over the past week or so.
“The humid air reduces the effect that sweating has on cooling your body,” said Chandler Price, a weather service forecaster. “Your skin feels hot. It’s gross.”
The effect is being enhanced by the unusually warm sea water that’s been present in Southern California for months.
“It is contributing to the humidity and is doing so near the surface,” said Sasha Gershunov, a research meteorologist at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
“This keeps night-time temperatures warmer than normal.”
At times, the overnight temperatures have been in the mid-70s, which is a particular problem for people who do not have air conditioning.
The region’s daytime temperatures also have been noteworthy. San Diego’s daily high has been above average every day since July 10, the weather service says.
The humid weather is expected to grow worse this week, reaching the mid-80s at some local beaches, the low-to-mid-90s a couple of miles inland, and 95 or above in the foothills, valleys and deserts. Borrego Springs could hit 115 degrees.
The heat wave will peak on Thursday and Friday. Significantly cooler, drier air will arrive on Sunday, providing at least temporary relief.