Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for San Diego, CA

DISCUSSION
FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES...

Visible satellite at 9 AM was showing low clouds had reached well into the Inland Empire, but had not fully filled in the coastal basin. A few areas of drizzle were reported this morning. A closed low is expected to pass through northern Baja this morning, but an overall troughing pattern will remain as a stronger low pressure system digs into the Pacific Northwest. Cross sections of our local WRF are indicating a fairly deep saturated layer for tonight into Saturday morning. Current indications are this layer will be saturated enough to produce areas of drizzle or light rain west of the mountains and on mountain slopes during that time. Minimal accumulations are expected with chances of rainfall totals reaching or exceeding 0.10" at 5 percent or less.

As the low pressure system moving into the Pacific Northwest begins to dig south into the Great Basin Saturday afternoon and evening, rain chances increase especially for San Diego County. Any rainfall is expected to be light, but more widespread across the coastal basin compared to what is expected tonight into Saturday morning.
It's unlikely rainfall totals will exceed 0.20" for the coast and valleys and 0.40" for the coastal mountain slopes. The most likely places for accumulating rainfall are in the San Diego coast, valleys, and mountains.

Stronger, gusty southwest to west winds are expected for the desert slopes of the mountains and deserts for Saturday afternoon into Saturday night. Stronger gusts of 50 to 60 mph with isolated gusts to 70 mph in the northern Coachella Valley below the San Gorgonio Pass are expected. Gusty west winds will continue Sunday afternoon and evening but not quite as strong with gusts to 45 to 55 mph and isolated gusts to 65 mph.

High pressure will bring dry weather with warming Monday through Thursday. High temperatures on Thursday will be around 10 degrees above average, ranging from the lower to mid 70s near the coast, the 90s for the Inland Empire, and 104 to 109 for the lower deserts. For Wednesday and Thursday, NBM chances for high temperatures in the warmer portions of the Inland Empire to exceed 100 are around 35 to 45 percent with NBM chances for the warmer portions of the lower deserts to exceed 110 on Thursday at 5 to 10 percent. The marine layer will become shallower with night and morning coastal low clouds not extending inland past the far western valleys for Wednesday and Thursday.

AVIATION
161615Z
Coast/Valleys
Low clouds based 1200-1500 ft MSL spread into the western and southern Inland Empire this morning but are beginning to erode on the western edge at this hour. Clouds will continue to scatter out through 18z, but patchy clouds will likely lingering along the coast. Local vis reduced to 3-5SM on higher coastal terrain and inland valleys until scattering. Low clouds with slightly higher bases 1500-2000 feet MSL will push ashore and inland after 00z, filling the entire coastal basin to the foothills by early Saturday.

Mountains/Deserts...SCT high clouds late today and tonight. After 22Z, pockets of westerly surface winds increase to 25-30 knots with gusts to 40 knots through mountain passes into adjacent deserts.
This could produce intermittent strong up/downdrafts in the lee of mountains such as vcnty KPSP.

MARINE
No hazardous marine conditions are expected through Saturday morning. Stronger winds late Saturday into early Sunday could lead to choppy seas and hazardous boating conditions in the outer waters near San Clemente Island for Saturday evening.

BEACHES
Elevated surf will impact beaches Sunday and Monday. Expected surf of 4-6 feet would produce a high rip current risk.

SKYWARN
Skywarn activation is not requested. However weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions.



SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
CA...Wind Advisory from noon Saturday to 2 AM PDT Sunday for Apple and Lucerne Valleys-Riverside County Mountains-San Bernardino County Mountains-San Diego County Deserts-San Diego County Mountains-San Gorgonio Pass near Banning.

PZ...None.