1 day Ago By Ben J. Costas
Californians in the southwest want an interesting mix of weather conditions this week. According to the National Weather Service San Diego, temperatures are set to climb higher today, warming up to 15 degrees more than Monday for inland valleys and coastal mountain slopes. Temps along the coast will range from the lower to mid-60s, climbing to the lower 80s in the Inland Empire and the lower 90s in the desert areas.
However, a slightly cooler trend is expected to creep in on Wednesday and persist through Thursday, coupled with increasing night and morning coastal low clouds that will spread inland into the valleys.Our weekend forecast takes a blustery turn starting Saturday afternoon into Sunday evening, as significant gusty southwest to west winds are predicted for the mountains and deserts. "the stronger gusts along and below the desert slopes of the mountains to 40 to 50 mph," the NWS San Diego report noted.
However, the northern Coachella Valley may see gusts slamming in at 70 to 80 mph. Looking ahead, Friday may offer a brief warm respite before a stronger and colder low-pressure system rolls in, bringing notable cooling on Saturday and even greater cooling on Sunday.The upcoming weather shift doesn't stop with temperature changes; the region is also bracing for possible showers and thunderstorms.
"There is a chance of showers for Saturday night into Monday along with a slight chance of thunderstorms for Sunday afternoon and early evening," mentioned the Area Forecast Discussion released by NWS San Diego. These cooler conditions will bring much-needed relief, especially with Sunday's high temps predicted to be 15 to 20 degrees below average for the valleys, mountains, and deserts, and even up to 25 degrees cooler than average for high-altitude areas.Maritime and beach conditions are also on the radar, the National Weather Service states, "No hazardous marine conditions are expected through Friday," but stronger winds are set to develop over the coastal waters this weekend, with a 30 percent chance of gale force winds in the outer coastal waters come Saturday night and Sunday; beaches face elevated surf through Wednesday with strong rip currents posing added risks.
A Beach Hazards Statement is currently in place for Orange County Coasts, reflecting the anticipated conditions for local swimmers and surfers to consider..
