textproduct: San Diego

SYNOPSIS

Increasing onshore flow and a pair of low pressure systems from the northwest will bring a cooling trend through the weekend with stronger and gusty southwest to west winds for the mountains and deserts during the afternoons and evenings through Sunday. Winds will gust to 35 to 45 mph today, and 40 to 50 mph for Saturday and Sunday. There is a chance of showers for tonight into Saturday morning. A second low pressure system from the northwest will bring more widespread showers for late Saturday night through Sunday along with a slight chance of thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon. Decreasing showers could linger into Sunday night and Monday morning. Then drying and warming through the middle of next week.

SHORT TERM (Today through Sunday)

A low pressure system centered off the northern California coast early this morning will weaken as it moves through central and southern California tonight. Onshore flow is strengthening the the marine layer deepening with satellite imagery showing low clouds over the coastal waters extending into western portions of the San Diego County valleys and into southern and western portions of the Inland Empire and into the Cajon Pass.

The cooling trend will continue through the weekend. Today will be a few degrees cooler than Thursday with greater cooling for Saturday and again on Sunday. High temperatures today will range from around 70 near the coast to the the lower to mid 70s for the valleys with the lower deserts in the mid 80s to lower 90s.

With the cooling for Saturday and Sunday, Sunday high temperatures for inland areas will be around 10 to 15 degrees below average to 15 to 20 degrees below average for the mountains above 6000 feet. High temperatures on Sunday will be mostly in the 60s for the coast and valleys and in the 70s for the lower deserts.

There is a chance of showers for tonight into Saturday morning with rainfall from the coast to the mountains mostly one-tenth inch or less to locally one-quarter inch in the mountains. A snow level around 8500 feet late this afternoon will fall to around 6500 feet for late tonight into Saturday morning.

For late Saturday night through Sunday, a second low pressure system from the northwest will bring additional rainfall ranging from around one-third inch near the coast to one-half to locally one inch in the mountains with less than one-qaurter inch in the high desert and less than one-tenth inch in the lower deserts. A snow level around 6500 feet late Saturday night will rise to 6500 to 7000 feet on Sunday.

There will be stronger and gusty southwest to west winds for the mountains and deserts, strongest during the afternoon and evening each day with gusts to 35 to 45 mph today and 40 to 50 mph for Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday and Sunday, winds along the lower desert slopes of the San Bernardino Mountains could gust to 65 mph at times.

LONG TERM (Sunday night through Thursday)

Some additional showers could linger for Sunday night into Monday morning with the snow level lowering to 5000 to 5500 feet late Sunday night into Monday morning. Not much change in high temperatures is expected on Monday.

For Tuesday through Thursday, it will be dry and warmer with high temperatures warming to around average for Wednesday and Thursday with high temperatures ranging from around 70 near the coast to the 70s in the valleys with the lower deserts around 90.

Mountains/Deserts

West to southwest winds with gusts 35-45 kt through passes, along deserts slopes and locally into the deserts overnight. Areas BLDU (vis 3-5SM) expected. Moderate up/downdrafts in lee of mtns. Winds briefly weaken late Fri morning before strengthening to similar speeds after 20Z Fri.

MARINE

There is a slight chance of thunderstorms Sunday afternoon. Additionally there will be periods of increased northwest winds with gusts 15 to 20 kt and choppy seas that could generate hazardous conditions through the day Sunday.

SKYWARN

Skywarn activation is not requested. However weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions.

SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

CA...None. PZ...None.