It will be cloudy and cool in Santa Monica for the July 4th holiday, when thousands of revelers flock the beach and downtown areas.
Patchy fog will linger during , which will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Main Street and Pico Boulevard.
The sun might peak out in the afternoon, but don't expect a scorcher. Temperatures will peak at just 71 degrees along the coast, according to the National Weather Service.
"A weak upper level low off the Southern California coast will keep temperatures a few degrees below normal through Thursday and produce areas of night and morning low clouds near the coast," Weather Service meteorologists said.
The cooler weather isn't likely to deter crowds, said Los Angeles County Lifeguard Kyle Daniels.
"We're expecting the normal Fourth of July Crowd, which is usually our busiest day of the year," he said.
Each of the 158 lifeguard towers along the L.A. county coast will be fully staffed and a back-up crew will be on call, according to Daniels.
"Here in Manhattan Beach, we have decent crowds today. People seem to come out regardless," he said.
The city of Santa Monica does not produce a fireworks display, but when the sun sets at about 8:10 p.m., and the temperatures dip into the 60s, pier-goers can watch a display of patriotic red, white and blue colors and pattern on the .
Fireworks-watchers in Marina del Rey will have clear skies. Overnight clouds aren't expected to roll in until about 11 p.m.
FOURTH OF JULY IN SANTA MONICA
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