Residents of San Diego County are bracing for a mix of weather conditions this week, with the National Weather Service forecasting warmer and dry conditions today followed by gusty winds and a chance of showers Wednesday night into early Thursday. According to the Area Forecast Discussion, onshore flow will strengthen tonight through Wednesday night, bringing strong west winds that could gust up to 35 mph at the coast and up to 90 mph in some mountain areas.
The cold front is expected to deliver showers across portions of San Diego County late Wednesday night into early Thursday. While some areas may only see less than one-tenth of an inch of rainfall near the coast, the San Diego County mountains could see one-quarter to one-half inch of rain, "with locally greater amounts," the forecast discussion notes. Moreover, temperatures are set to plummet, as highlighted by the lows Tuesday morning hitting the teens to mid-20s in the mountains and upper 20s to mid-30s in the valleys, according to the National Weather Service's forecast for San Diego.
As pointed out in the detailed forecast, after a nippy start on Wednesday, the day will warm up with a high near 62 degrees before the chance of showers arrives in the evening. "A chance of showers, mainly between 11pm and 5am. Mostly cloudy, with a low of around 52. Breezy, with a west wind of 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph," states the forecast from the National Weather Service.
The weather conditions are expected to improve gradually, with the forecast calling for dry and warmer weather on Friday and Saturday. However, another low-pressure system could hit the region Saturday night into Sunday, potentially bringing another round of strong, gusty west-to-northwest winds. There appear to be lesser chances for precipitation and little cooling associated with this system. The National Weather Service also issued a Coastal Flood Advisory and High Surf Advisory as "Surf will build to 5 to 7 feet with sets as high as 11 feet Wednesday night and Thursday," which has been posted on their alerts page. These conditions indicate a risk for local flooding and hazardous swimming conditions, just as the high tides are predicted Thursday morning.
With an array of advisories in effect, including a High Surf Advisory from 8 PM Wednesday to 6 PM PST Thursday, San Diegans are urged to take extra caution, particularly along the coast where the risk of flooding and beach erosion is amplified by the combination of high surf and tides.
