Light showers are possible Monday as a weak Pacific storm moves east over San Diego County ahead of an atmospheric river beginning on Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service said.
“Since late Sunday afternoon, there has been some mostly light precipitation from the coast to the mountains,” the agency said. “Lighter precipitation will continue at times through this
evening.”
Highs on Monday will be around 61 along the coast, 59 to 62 in the western valleys, 53 to
58 near the foothills, 47 to 56 in the mountains and 70 to 75 in the deserts
The weak storm will be followed on Tuesday afternoon by a full atmospheric river, with rainfall of 1.5 to 3 inches along the coast and in the valleys, and up to 4 inches in the mountains.
“All eyes are on the stronger storm system on tap for Tuesday into Wednesday. This storm is expected to bring periods of moderate to heavy rain and mountain snowfall,” the weather service said.
The storm will be accompanied by high winds, with gusts up to 55 mph in some areas, while daytime highs will drop by 10 degrees or more. The snow level will fall to around 5,000 feet by Wednesday.
Updated at 7:25 a.m., Monday, March 20, 2023