A cold winter storm brought gusty winds, downed trees and dropped temperatures 10 to 25 degrees below normal in the San Diego region on Wednesday morning.
The National Weather Service office in San Diego said gusts would reach 50 mph along the coast and inland, and as high as 75 mph in the mountains.
Trees were reported down across San Diego County, and there were numerous electrical outages affecting small groups of customers. A weather warning was issued for San Diego International Airport until 5 p.m.
Rainfall from the storm was forecast to range up to half an inch along the coast and inland, and up to 2 inches in the mountains. Snowfall of up to an inch is expected above 2,500 feet.
“There will be strong west winds today with scattered showers and low snow levels,” the agency said, adding that the winds will diminish by the evening.
The San Diego County Office of Education announced four school districts will be closed on Wednesday because of the inclement weather:
- Julian Union Elementary
- Julian Union High School
- Mountain Empire Unified
- Spencer Valley
High temperatures on Wednesday will be around 52 along the coast, 51 in the western valleys, 41 to 46 near the foothills, 33 to 41 in the mountains and 53 to 57 in the deserts
Gales over the coastal waters will generate short-period surf from 6 to 14 feet, with the highest in southern San Diego County. Swimming and surfing will be dangerous.
Storm conditions are expected to continue into Saturday, with more rain and gusty winds.
Updated at 8:40 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023
