San Diego residents brace for another round of Santa Ana winds and very low humidity this week. Following today's slightly below-normal coastal temperatures ranging from 63 to 68 degrees. The National Weather Service (NWS) San Diego forecasts that critically low relative humidity values will blanket inland areas, with widespread numbers below 10% from today through next week.
Moderate to strong Santa Ana winds are also on the agenda, gusting at 45 to 65 mph and up to 75 mph in wind-prone locales from today through Tuesday. Locals in the affected areas should be vigilant, as the Area Forecast Discussion by NWS San Diego warns of "potentially damaging" winds this afternoon, stretching into Tuesday evening. Additionally, there's a 60 percent chance of yet another Santa Ana event on Thursday.
For aviators and mariners, the Santa Ana winds pose certain risks. Northeast winds will surface after 16Z today in foothills and inland valleys, creating low-level wind shear, particularly near airports like KSBD, KONT, and KSNA, as well as choppy seas offshore. The NWS has issued advisories, cautioning against gusts up to 25 knots with related choppy conditions at sea, which will peak this afternoon and tonight before gradually diminishing Tuesday morning.
As we look toward the weekend, there's a shift in the weather pattern. As observed by NWS San Diego, confidence is on the rise for potential precipitation from Saturday into Monday. The likelihood of measurable rain sits at 30-60 percent for next weekend, with a 50-70 percent chance of snow levels dropping below 4000 ft by Sunday morning. This anticipated change brings a reprieve from the current dry spell, yet specifics in timing and quantity of the rainfall remain uncertain due to a "significant spread among solutions."
Moreover, firefighters remain on high alert by issuing a Red Flag Warning effective from 8 AM today to 10 PM PST Tuesday. As stated by the NWS, "A period of extreme fire weather conditions is likely across the coastal slopes, foothills, and adjacent valleys in San Diego County Tuesday morning due to the combination of wind gusts in excess of 50 mph and single digit relative humidity." While these conditions are expected to subside by mid-week, the potential for another spell of elevated to critical fire weather is anticipated on Thursday and Friday.
