Before long, Santa Ana winds will come sweeping down the mountain slopes at Lake Cuyamaca.

San Diego’s Warmest Weather, on average, should be occurring right now, according to statistics compiled from several decades of measurements taken near the San Diego International Airport. In an average year, coastal residents enjoy an average daily temperature of 70°, which compares favorably (depending on your viewpoint) with the January average daily temperature of 55°. The range between the high and low is typically 10° or less this time of year. August’s warm, semitropical weather should soon give way to September’s and October’s slightly cooler days interspersed with occasional heat waves brought on by Santa Ana conditions — dry, hot winds that sweep down the mountain slopes from the interior.

Katydids’ Are Singing Their Wings Off this time of year. Nocturnal and most active in the warmer months, male katydids vibrate their wings together in a process called stridulation to establish territory and attract mating partners. Their call has been described as sounding like “Katy-did, Katy-didn’t” looped over and over whereas grasshoppers make a short, chirping sound. Often confused with grasshoppers, katydids have antennae which are longer than their bodies, grasshoppers have much shorter antennae. Katydids are  also nocturnal omnivores, while grasshoppers are diurnal herbivores.

A Mexican Bush Katydid munches on a plumeria flower.

Monty Burns

The Mexican Bush Katydid (Scudderia mexicana) is the most common katydid we’ll see in our San Diego yards and gardens. They’re making lots of noise right now looking for mates so that they can lay their eggs by summer’s end. With a green body color and wings that resemble leaves, adult katydids are very well camouflaged in trees and bushes keeping them safe from predators. Young katydids, called nymphs, are brown, wingless and have black and white striped antennae. These nymphs will molt multiple times until they become the green, winged katydids that are jumping and fluttering around in our warm summer evenings.