As the chilly whispers of winter continue to sweep across Southern California, residents are bracing for a series of winter weather conditions through the end of the week. According to the NWS San Diego, light snow showers graced parts of the region today, signaling an early end to the wintry precipitation in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties by this morning and cessation in San Diego County as the afternoon approaches. Travelers around I-8 near Pine Valley faced potential disruptions, with a 60% chance of at least an inch of snow predicted to settle in the morning hours.
Gusty west winds persist, specifically in the mountainous regions and deserts, with isolated winds reaching up to 50 mph through the passes. "Scattered light showers persist this morning, mainly over the eastern San Bernardino Mountains as well as across San Diego County for the mountains westward," the National Weather Service San Diego reports. Residents can expect additional rainfall, where showers continue, to amount to anything from a few hundredths of an inch to around 0.15 inch, accompanied by isolated amounts up to 0.40" on the west slopes of the San Diego County mountains.
The unsettled weather is part of a cool pattern anticipated to linger throughout the week, with Tuesday offering a brief respite—dry conditions with a slight temperature increase. However, the brewing storm system linked to a weak atmospheric river is expected to usher in widespread precipitation and robust mountain and desert wind gusts later this week. As highlighted in the Area Forecast Discussion, the potential rainfall amounts could be substantial, offering a 60-75% chance of at least 0.50" for coasts and valleys, with higher elevations facing a 40-80% chance of at least an inch of snow.
Mariners and beachgoers are not exempt from the meteorological theatrics, as hazardous boating conditions and high surf advisories are in effect. "Northwest winds of 20-25 knots with some gusts exceeding 30 knots, and seas 9-14 feet will lead to hazardous boating conditions today and tonight," according to the National Weather Service. The turbulent seas, along with a long-period swell from the west-northwest, also contribute to the surf advisory, prompting expectations of 4-8 feet waves with sets up to 10 feet, primarily affecting southern San Diego County.
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