Cloudy mornings, cool conditions along the coast expected for Fourth of July weekend

Southern California beaches are one of the most popular destinations for the Fourth of July holiday, so be prepared to battle coastal crowds this weekend, including for parking.

The biggest tip: arrive early.

And if you do, be prepared to layer up.

Forecasters are calling for a cool start each day of the three-day weekend — many people are off work on Friday for the Saturday holiday — with cloud cover in the mornings before the sun is able to punch through and shine down.

Temperatures will linger about 70 to 73 degrees along the coast, from San Diego to the South Bay, with the sun coming out by the afternoon, said National Weather Service meteorologist  Sebastian Westerink.

Inland temps look to be in the low 80s across the region, not scorching hot to drive massive beach crowds, but warm enough that the coast could be a lure.

If you are heading to the coast, expect waves to be in the 3- to 4-foot range at south-facing beaches such as Huntington Beach and Newport Beach in Orange County and Zuma and Malibu beaches in Los Angeles County.

“From the perspective of the surf, it looks like moderate rip current risks, pretty typical surf for this time of year,” Westerink said. “South-facing beaches could get higher sets occasionally, but no elevated surf or high swell like we saw a few weeks ago.“

Even if waves are smaller, it’s always good to be careful in the water and watch for rip currents, he noted.

Waves will be smaller, in the 2- to 3-foot range, in western-facing stretches such as the South Bay, according to forecasts.

While afternoons are expected to make way for sunshine, the Fourth of July could see some evening cloud cover, which could impact fireworks shows in the sky along the coastal areas.

“The last few nights, clouds have been coming in pretty quickly,” Westerink said.

Also see: Weather forecast for July 4th includes rising temperatures across much of Southern California

If you are snagging a place on the sand to watch the fireworks shows, make sure you pick a good spot high up on the shoreline.

Tides reach a low at about 7 p.m. of 2.6 feet and will be inching upward into the evening hours, though the highest tides don’t hit until just after midnight. But too close to the water, and things could get washed away. Your belongings should be safe as long as you don’t set up right on the waterline.

Newport Beach Marine Safety Chief Brian O’Rourke said lifeguards have been staffed up for the weekend.

It looks to be breezy, which means there could be some westerly wind waves that could produce rip currents, he said.

That same wind could cool the waters in a process called “upwelling,” where deeper waters churn up from the bottom, dropping water temperatures.

“Fourth of July could be on the cooler side, but it will still be a robust Fourth of July,” he said. “So we are ready to go.”