San Diego residents should brace for a wet and windy day as a low-pressure system sweeps through the region, bringing showers, snow, and gusty conditions. As reported on their website, coastal areas can expect one-quarter to one-half inch of rain, with one-half to one inch in the mountains and less than one-tenth inch in the deserts. Showers will spread from the west in the morning and taper off from the northwest by tonight.
In terms of snowfall, the mountains are gearing up for a blanket of white, with 2 to 4 inches expected above 4500 to 5000 feet in San Diego County before rain overtakes snow in the late afternoon and 3 to 5 inches projected for San Bernardino and Riverside Counties from 4500 to 6500 feet, and even 6 to 8 inches on the highest peaks above 8000 feet, the snow level, initially set at 3000 to 3500 feet early this morning will ascend to around 4000 feet by noon, then increase further to 5500 to 6500 feet by early evening according to the NWS San Diego. The windy weather will also continue, with the mountains and deserts experiencing gusts between 45 to 55 mph, and some areas could see gusts as high as 70 mph along the desert slopes.
Temperatures are expected to dip significantly below the average for this time of year, dropping by 20 to 25 degrees in some inland valley and mountain locations; coastal high temperatures will hover in the mid to upper 50s, while inland valleys will see mid to upper 40s, as reported by the National Weather Service. A slight respite is in sight for the weekend, with conditions forecasted to dry up and temperatures anticipated to return to normal for Sunday, where coastal areas will experience low to mid-60s, valleys will enjoy upper 60s to mid-70s, and the lower deserts will warm up to mid to upper 70s.
Looking ahead, the NWS indicates another Pacific low-pressure system will impact Southern California late Monday and early Tuesday, leading to a drop in temperature and stronger winds for the mountains and deserts, with showers expected to bring light to moderate precipitation Monday afternoon into the night, then conditions will shift again, becoming drier and warmer by mid-next week with temperatures slightly below average by Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
For those on the water, the weather will be rough, with the Small Craft Advisory extended until Saturday morning due to gusty west-northwesterly winds up to 25 knots. This weather rhythm will persist into early next week, when hazardous marine conditions will likely return. The seas are forecast to reach around 10 feet high with 25-30 kt gusts as the new system moves through.
