As Southern California braces for a heavy weather front, the National Weather Service San Diego forecasts a deluge of precipitation and gusty winds across the region, beginning today and persisting through Friday night. According to forecasters, coastal areas can expect 1.5 to 2.5 inches of rain, and mountains could see 3 to 6 inches, with some south slopes in the San Bernardino County mountains potentially reaching up to 8 inches, and the deserts are looking at a lighter 0.25 to 1 inch of rainfall.
The wet weather onslaught will bring snowfall as well, with snow levels starting from 7500 to 8000 feet during Thursday and Thursday night, the heaviest precipitation period; levels will then drop to 6000 to 6500 feet on Friday and 5500 to 6000 feet by Friday night causing a substantial amount of snow is expected above 7000 to 7500 feet where accumulations could reach 1 to 2 feet higher up, above 8000 to 8500 feet, it anticipates between 4 to 8 inches between 6500 and 7500 feet. On top of this, residents and travelers should prepare for stronger and gusty southwest-to-west winds up to 50 mph, with stronger gusts hitting the desert slopes, reaching dramatic speeds of 70 to 80 mph, as per the NWS San Diego.
Temperatures are also dropping, diving to 12 to 18 degrees below the seasonal average for inland valleys. Forecasts for the coastal areas aren't looking any warmer, with expected highs for today at 55 to 57 degrees, as reported by the NWS San Diego. Looking ahead, the weekend promises some respite from the storms, with drier conditions and moderate warming anticipated, but another system may lead to slight cooling again early next week.
Mariners, take heed: hazardous winds will weaken this morning but are expected to persist later into the week and throughout the weekend, igniting potential hazardous conditions. For beachgoers, a high rip current risk accompanies large surf conditions slated to start late Friday through Saturday with swells potentially reaching up to 9 feet on west-facing beaches, the NWS has issued a warning for elevated rip current risks and possible dangerous swimming conditions. In terms of hydrology, snow levels will gradually increase from about 4500 feet early this morning to roughly 8000 feet by Thursday morning, accompanying the onset of heavier precipitation that could cause significant snowfall, and both the San Diego River and the Santa Margarita River are on watch for potential spiking water levels late Thursday into Friday morning, as laid out in further detail by the National Weather Service.
