Below average temperatures will continue through the weekend. Scattered showers will move southeast across the area through the rest of the day. Additional rounds of showers will continue through Saturday morning. Dry conditions are expected to return Sunday with a warming trend and prevailing offshore flow expected into next week.
For extreme southwestern California including Orange, San Diego, western Riverside and southwestern San Bernardino counties,
A line of precipitation has been slowly moving from northwest to southeast across the region. At 1 PM, the precipitation line spanned from the High Desert to 60 nautical miles off the coast of San Diego. Over the past 12 hours, rainfall accumulations have mainly been 0.01-0.10". Totals at the higher end of that range have mainly been observed in Orange County. Light rain is expected to continue to move south across the area through the afternoon and evening. Additional scattered to isolated showers are expected to develop overnight tonight through Saturday. Hourly rainfall rates in any of those showers will be 0.05-0.25" per hour, with those higher rates most likely in the far eastern valleys and in the Riverside and San Diego mountains. Rainfall totals for today through Saturday are expected to range from 0.05-0.30", with local amounts closer to 0.40" in the mountains. Mountain locations have a 20-30 percent chance of accumulations over the whole event exceeding 0.50", with the best chance in the San Diego County mountains. Snow levels will fall to 6500 to 7000 ft by Saturday morning. 1-3" of snow are expected above 7000 ft.
The upper level low that is currently bringing us precipitation is expected to be east of Southern California by Saturday evening, which will switch the pressure gradient from onshore to offshore. Ensemble guidance continues to indicate weak to locally moderate northeast to east winds developing Saturday night into Sunday. Strongest winds will occur on the coastal mountain foothills, into Inland Empire and inland Orange County. Winds below the Cajon Pass and Freemont Canyon could gust 50-60 mph, with gusts mainly 30-45 mph into portions of the Inland Empire, inland Orange County, and the foothills of the Riverside and San Diego County mountains.
An upper level ridge is expected to build over the West Coast next week, which will bring another period of warm and dry conditions. Highs for Tuesday through Thursday are expected to be 3 to 8 degrees above average. Low cloud and fog coverage is expected to be sparse with prevailing offshore flow.
222100z. Coast/Valleys, SCT-BKN cigs 8000-12000 feet MSL, with random and intermittent cigs 800-1800 feet MSL and areas vis 3-5SM. Light to locally moderate rain is making its way across the area, with the heavier rain currently moving over Orange county. This band of rain will continue to make its way through the area from west to east bringing scattered showers through the TAF period. Low clouds will redevelop after 02-06Z with bases 1800-2500 feet MSL, rising overnight into Friday. Higher terrain locally obscured. Any impacts to cigs/vis should be minimal and brief if they occur.
Eastern Mountains/Deserts, BKN clouds around 15000 feet MSL will gradually lower to around 5000-8000 feet by 00Z, merging with the lower clouds after 06Z.
No hazardous marine conditions are expected through Tuesday.
Ca, None. PZ, None.
