The sun was out and the air was warm and dry this weekend — but that’s changing this week.
Rainy weather will return to San Diego County by Tuesday, with heavier, wetter conditions than last weekend’s showers and moderate winds expected by mid-week through the weekend, forecasters said Sunday.
The rain will begin falling early Tuesday and continue off and on through next Saturday in most parts of the county with a brief break Wednesday, the National Weather Service’s San Diego office said.
“Due to the most likely timing of the eastward progress of the low, SoCal will be in the warm sector ahead of the low for most of Monday,” the agency said in a discussion. “Precipitation will likely begin to move in from the west Monday night, spreading north and east on Tuesday before tapering off [Tuesday] night.”
After tapering off temporarily, the rain returns Wednesday, with the heaviest precipitation expected on Thursday morning.
Current estimates for rainfall totals are about 1 to 1.5 inches in the Santa Ana and San Diego County Mountains, one-half to three-quarters of an inch in the coastal and valley areas, and about one-tenth to one-half inch in the deserts, the NWS said.
Snow levels will start out around 6,000 to 6,500 feet on Wednesday and should lower to around 3,500 to 4,000 feet by Thursday afternoon, the NWS said.
Cooler temperatures were expected this week, with highs in downtown San Diego in the lower 60s Tuesday and Wednesday and the upper 50s Thursday and Friday.
Deserts should see highs in the low 60s to mid-70s, and the mountains can expect daytime temperatures in the 40s starting Tuesday and continuing through the week.
No hazardous marine conditions are expected through late Wednesday.
“Southwest to west winds with gusts in excess of 20 knots likely Wednesday night into Friday, creating conditions hazardous to small craft,” marine forecasters said. “There is a 60% chance of wind gusts to 34 knots Thursday evening 30-60 nautical miles offshore with decreasing chances the closer you get to land.”
City News Service contributed to this report,
