As the week progresses, San Diego residents should brace for a rollercoaster of weather changes. According to the National Weather Service Forecast Office, today will be cooler along the coast and in the mountains, with temperatures dipping as much as 5 to 10 degrees from yesterday’s highs. In contrast, Thursday promises a mild reprieve, as coastal and valley areas can expect a 4 to 8 degree temperature uptick.
However, it’s not all sunshine and roses. Wind conditions will take a turn, bringing gustier affairs, especially across mountain and desert locales, "with the stronger gusts to 35 to 45 mph and isolated gusts to 55 mph," particularly potent along the desert slopes and northern Coachella Valley. Meanwhile, a slight chance of light rain this evening is on the radar, predominantly targeting the San Diego County coast and valleys, as reported by the National Weather Service's Area Forecast Discussion.
Looking ahead to the weekend, a series of low-pressure systems pose a wet threat to the region. The NWS San Diego reports that rain chances will climb beginning Saturday and potentially lingering into the early part of next week. This anticipated downpour is predicted to arrive in several waves, with the likelihood of rain peaking around Sunday and Monday.
Rain chances will steadily increase starting Saturday and lasting into early next week. This incoming event looks to occur in several waves, with the highest rain chances for now occurring Sunday and Monday.
— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) January 16, 2024
🌧️🕒Breakdown of daily rain chances below: #CAwx pic.twitter.com/sj0R8UGvCe
As for specifics, the details are a bit murky at this stage, but the mountains are expected to bear the brunt of the rainfall. The NWS discussion adds, "The greatest chances for more significant precipitation are for Sunday night and Monday with NBM chances for one inch or more of rainfall around 65 percent for eastern portions of the San Gabriel Mountains, around 45 percent near the Orange County coast, and, around 25 percent for San Diego." Snow levels will remain high, mostly above the 7,000 to 7,500 feet range.
