San Diego residents and visitors best be prepared for a continued gusty presence, as moderate to strong Santa Ana winds show no signs of calming down until after Monday. NWS San Diego reports that these offshore winds will be most potent along coastal slopes, foothills, and even pushing their way into the valleys.
The persistence of this pattern is set to keep the skies clear and the heat on a steady rise into the week. According to an Area Forecast Discussion by the National Weather Service San Diego CA, temperatures are anticipated to climb, reaching their peak by Wednesday and Thursday with inland valleys and lower deserts seeing the mercury touch the low 80s—a reading well above seasonal averages for this time of year.
In windswept San Diego County, an unfortunate gust at Big Black Mountain gusted up to a staggering 82 mph. This bout of wind is not just a one-off either; another significant peak is expected on Sunday morning, although it's predicted to be somewhat less fierce than today’s winds. Post Sunday, the winds are expected to weaken, but they'll still be present, gently reminding us of their existence through the latter part of next week.
The SoCal region sits at the mercy of a Rex Block for the upcoming days, with a high pressure to the north and a pesky upper low to the south. The marine outlook appears benign, with the exception of northeast to east winds occasionally nudging the 20 to 25 knots mark through the weekend. Beyond that, it looks like smooth sailing for mariners through Wednesday, without a sign of marine layer clouds on the horizon.
For those curious to know how to prepare, one only has to look at the various Advisories in place: the Wind Advisory clings until 1 PM PST Sunday for areas including the Orange County Inland, Riverside County Mountains and right down to San Diego County Valleys, while a High Wind Warning is stretching its arms over the San Bernardino County Mountains, San Diego County Mountains, including the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning. No advisories hold place for the marine areas presently. With winds underpinning the forecast, public safety is a concern, but at this time, NWS San Diego is not requesting Skywarn activation but does encourage weather spotters to report significant conditions that might arise.
