Precipitation from the coldest Pacific storm of the season that hit San Diego County earlier in the week tapered off by Friday evening, making way for a mostly clear and albeit cool weekend, according to NBC 7 meteorologists.
The low-pressure system that brought stormy conditions to San Diego has continued its eastward path into the Great Basin, which means we will have mostly clear skies and dry conditions throughout the weekend.
Afternoon winds will be breezy at the coast and over the inland valleys with gusts up to 20 mph. Meanwhile, the desert and mountains could have gusts up to 30 mph.
High surf advisory for the coast will remain in place through noon. Wave heights are expected to be around 6 feet at their peak. High tide is around 8 a.m. and low tide will return around 2:30 p.m.
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Next week, temperatures will warm up starting Tuesday. Offshore winds and high pressure could bring daytime highs back to the mid-70s for the coast and low 80s for the inland valleys. The mountains could also make a return to the 70s and the desert could reach the low 90s. Right now, the warmer days will fall from Tuesday through Friday with the warmest day of the week potentially being Thursday.
How did our latest storm fare?
How much rain fell? By mid-afternoon Friday, the unsettled atmospheric system had delivered anywhere from a few hundredths an inch to just over an inch of rain across the region, according to the National Weather Service.
Local
By Friday at 8 a.m., up to 4 inches of frozen white flakes had accumulated on Palomar Mountain.
Friday was one of the coldest days of the season. Daytime highs in the coastal areas were 55-60 degrees, and the eastern valleys were 45-55 degrees, according to NBC 7 meteorologists.
The cold weather storm came with snow. There could be about 2 to 4 inches of snow from 4,000 to 5,000 feet in our mountains to 4 to 8 inches of snow from 5,000 feet to 6,000 feet.
Snowy conditions prompted school closures and chains were required for Sunrise Highway and Palomar Mountain. Level 1 chain control is required on all vehicles except passenger vehicles.
Rainbows come to San Diego County
With the rain came something beautiful. San Diegans awoke to the sight of stunning rainbows across the county on Friday morning. Below are just a few of the photos submitted by NBC 7 readers and viewers like you.
School Closures:
Due to the inclement weather and icy road conditions, the following school districts were closed and had a snow day on Friday:
- Julian Union Elementary School District
- Julian Union High School District
- Spencer Valley School District
This system comes after an Easter weekend storm drenched the county. San Diego, Vista, Chula Vista, Ramona and Alpine all broke records on Saturday in the amount of rain they got, according to the NWS.
Dry, cool weather is in the forecast for the weekend and Monday, with a warming trend expected Tuesday through Thursday as high pressure builds over the southwestern U.S.
LIST: Things to do on a rainy day in San Diego
Saturday temperatures:
- Coasts: Sunny - Upper 50s to low 60s
- Valleys: Sunny - Low 60s
- Mountains: Sunny - Upper 40s
- Deserts: Sunny - Low 70s
