San Diegans experienced strong winds Friday -- from the East County all the way to the coast -- that, in some cases, were strong enough to topple trees.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a wind advisory for coastal towns like Carlsbad and Encinitas where winds were expected to pick up after 6 a.m. and continue until 6 p.m. The advisory also impacted communities like National City and Chula Vista.
Drivers were warned to be careful along Interstate 8, where there's concern about trees impacted by San Diego's recent winter storms toppling.
In San Diego's mountain passes, winds were expected to be 20 to 40 mph with gusts reaching speeds of up to 70 mph, NBC 7's Whitney Southwick said.
"It's going to be a very windy day and not a warm one," he added.
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The NWS also issued a high wind warning, effective until 1 p.m. Saturday, for San Diego County’s valleys and mountains. This warning impacts East County communities like Pine Valley, Julian, El Cajon, La Mesa and Santee, as well as Poway, San Marcos and Escondido. Gusts could reach up to 65 mph today in those areas, the NWS said. The winds are expected to decrease Saturday and weaken gradually over the course of the weekend.
Soon enough, as gusts swept in, trees began to fall across the county.
In Balboa Park -- the 2700 block of Park Boulevard, near the carousel and the San Diego Zoo -- a large tree fell Friday morning, crushing several cars. No one was hurt.
At around 11 a.m., the wind also caused a tree to topple at 2400 Northside Drive near the Costco store in Mission Valley. That tree fell into the middle of the road and blocked traffic. Fortunately, no one was hurt in that incident either.
Shortly after that, a resident in Scripps Ranch told NBC 7 a huge tree fell behind her home amid strong winds.
In South Park, in front of a home at 2800 Date Street, another large tree fell around 12:45 p.m., leaving a huge mess behind for that homeowner.
[G] Rain, Wind Descend on San Diego County
In El Cajon, a tree fell just before noon at 1033 N. Mollison Ave. In that incident, no vehicles were damaged and no one was hurt, officials said.
Meanwhile, San Diego Gas & Electric confirmed several unplanned power outages Friday afternoon. One outage impacted 1,600 customers in the University Heights area; another 3,200 customers in the Mission Hills and North Park area also lost power. NBC 7 is trying to determine if those outages were caused by the windy weather. Another power outage impacted customers in the Balboa area. SDG&E said that incident was caused by a downed tree.
Along San Diego's coastline, strong winds and high surf rolled in.
A high surf advisory is also in effect at local beaches until at least 7 p.m. Friday. The NWS said this will create strong rip currents, big waves and dangerous swimming conditions at San Diego’s beaches, and possible erosion.
The big waves shut down access to Ocean Beach Pier Friday.
Check the NBC 7 forecast here.
Make sure to download NBC 7’s free news app. Weather alerts, like flood advisories warnings are issued through the app. There is also a local, interactive radar.
