Currently clear skies with a few light showers in the outer coastal waters, moving southeast. Light rainfall will begin to move in as early as late morning from north to south, spreading across San Diego County this evening with pre-frontal showers and intensifying tonight into Friday morning. Snow levels currently 6000ft will rise to 6500ft as the core of the moisture moves across tonight, falling back to 6000ft late Friday morning/Friday afternoon. With periods of heavy rainfall tonight, total accumulations today through Saturday may reach around 1-1.5" for coast/valleys and around 2" for foothills/mountains. Those above the snow level will see around 4-8" of snow, and those above 7500ft may see upwards of 14" through Saturday. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect.
.PREVIOUS FORECAST FROM 244 AM, .SHORT TERM (Today through Saturday), Early this morning, scattered showers will develop over the coastal waters and spread into coastal areas with rainfall of one-tenth inch or less. For this afternoon, scattered mostly light showers could develop in advance of a colder low pressure system moving southward just off the California coast.
The most widespread and heaviest precipitation is expected with the cold front this evening with showers continuing overnight. There is also a slight chance of thunderstorms for tonight. The snow level will rise to around 7000 feet for late this afternoon, then fall to around 5500 to 6000 feet for early Friday morning. The snow level will then gradually rise to around 7000 feet for late Saturday afternoon. South to southeast winds will develop and strengthen ahead of the cold front for late this afternoon and evening across the coastal waters and adjacent coastal areas with gusts to 25 to 30 mph.
Through Saturday, rainfall and liquid-equivalent above the snow level could range from around 1 inch at the coast to 1.5 to 2 inches for the mountains with locally greater amounts. Chances for one inch or more of rainfall or liquid-equivalent above the snow level through Friday night ranges from around 30 percent near the coast to 50 to 70 percent in the mountains. Through Friday afternoon, snowfall of 3 to 6 inches is expected from 6000 to 7000 feet, 6 to 10 inches from 7000 to 7500 feet, and 10 to 14 inches above 7500 feet. Scattered snow showers will continue for Friday night into Saturday with additional snowfall of 2 to 5 inches.
Another system arrives today, delivering heavy rainfall tonight into Friday afternoon. Up to an inch of rainfall possible for coast/valleys, higher in the foothills and mountains. Periods of heavy snowfall in the mountains, especially early Friday morning, with snow levels around 6000-6500ft where 5-10+ inches of snow may accumulate. The slow moving system will allow precipitation to linger into Saturday. Drier weather with a very slow warming trend sets in for the end of the weekend into early next week, warming to near normal by Wednesday.
For extreme southwestern California including Orange, San Diego, western Riverside and southwestern San Bernardino counties,
.UPDATE, Currently clear skies with a few light showers in the outer coastal waters, moving southeast. Light rainfall will begin to move in as early as late morning from north to south, spreading across San Diego County this evening with pre-frontal showers and intensifying tonight into Friday morning. Snow levels currently 6000ft will rise to 6500ft as the core of the moisture moves across tonight, falling back to 6000ft late Friday morning/Friday afternoon. With periods of heavy rainfall tonight, total accumulations today through Saturday may reach around 1-1.5" for coast/valleys and around 2" for foothills/mountains. Those above the snow level will see around 4-8" of snow, and those above 7500ft may see upwards of 14" through Saturday. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect.
.PREVIOUS FORECAST FROM 244 AM,
(today through Saturday), Early this morning, scattered showers will develop over the coastal waters and spread into coastal areas with rainfall of one-tenth inch or less. For this afternoon, scattered mostly light showers could develop in advance of a colder low pressure system moving southward just off the California coast.
The most widespread and heaviest precipitation is expected with the cold front this evening with showers continuing overnight. There is also a slight chance of thunderstorms for tonight. The snow level will rise to around 7000 feet for late this afternoon, then fall to around 5500 to 6000 feet for early Friday morning. The snow level will then gradually rise to around 7000 feet for late Saturday afternoon. South to southeast winds will develop and strengthen ahead of the cold front for late this afternoon and evening across the coastal waters and adjacent coastal areas with gusts to 25 to 30 mph.
Through Saturday, rainfall and liquid-equivalent above the snow level could range from around 1 inch at the coast to 1.5 to 2 inches for the mountains with locally greater amounts. Chances for one inch or more of rainfall or liquid-equivalent above the snow level through Friday night ranges from around 30 percent near the coast to 50 to 70 percent in the mountains. Through Friday afternoon, snowfall of 3 to 6 inches is expected from 6000 to 7000 feet, 6 to 10 inches from 7000 to 7500 feet, and 10 to 14 inches above 7500 feet. Scattered snow showers will continue for Friday night into Saturday with additional snowfall of 2 to 5 inches.
(Sunday through Wednesday), There will be high pressure off the West Coast with generally northwest flow aloft across California. There will be dry weather with a warming trend for Sunday through Thanksgiving. High temperatures on Sunday of a few to around 5 degrees above average will warm through Thanksgiving with Thanksgiving high temperatures a few degrees above average to 4 to 8 degrees above average for the inland valleys and San Diego County mountains.
High temperatures on Sunday will range from the lower to mid 60s near the coast to the mid 60s to around 70 for the valleys with the lower to mid 70s for the lower deserts. High temperatures on Thanksgiving will range from around 70 near the coast to the 70 for the valleys with the mid to upper 70s for the lower deserts.
201700z, SCT-BKN low clouds 2500-3500 feet MSL continue into afternoon, with increasing SCT -SHRA. A wide band of moderate precipitation moves across the region from northwest to southeast from 00-12Z Fri. Expecting widespread MVFR cigs/vis through the coastal basin with a brief period of IFR conditions (cigs below 1000 ft and VIS 1-3SM) with the passage of the heaviest precip. Slight chance TSRA (10-20%) at coastal sites. -SHRA in the deserts, but generally VFR conditions expected. Mtns shrouded in FG through the night. Cigs/vis improving to generally to VFR in the coastal basin after the band passes. Lingering SCT SHRA and ISO TSRA will create intermittent MVFR conditions for all areas on Friday.
Strengthening southerly winds this afternoon will turn westerly tonight with gusts to 25 knots, generating choppy seas. Check the Small Craft Advisory for details. There is also a slight chance of thunderstorms this evening through Friday afternoon. Any thunderstorm could bring lightning, gusty winds, choppy seas, and a waterspout.
Ca, Winter Storm Warning from 4 PM this afternoon to 4 PM PST Friday for Riverside County Mountains-San Bernardino County Mountains.
PZ, Small Craft Advisory from 4 PM this afternoon to 2 AM PST Friday for Coastal Waters from San Mateo Point to the Mexican Border and out to 10 nm-Waters from San Mateo Point to the Mexican Border Extending 10 to 60 nm out including San Clemente Island.
