The red flag fire weather warning that went into effect Wednesday in the San Diego County mountains and valleys will expire at noon Thursday, ushering in a mild and sunny Christmas Day on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
The weather will remain stable until Sunday night, when a modest storm from the Gulf of Alaska hits the region. It is expected to produce a half inch or more of rain in San Diego, a little more through the interior valleys, and perhaps a touch of snow in the mountains.
The storm will produce a large swell, with waves of up to 2 meters or more in some places, particularly in the south of the county. The ocean temperature is currently in the range of 59 to 61 degrees.
Santa Ana’s latest wind event generated gusts of up to 54 mph Wednesday in the Cuyamaca Mountains in East County and some gusts in the 22-25 mph range in places like Alpine and Ramona.
Forecasters issued the red flag warning because the winds – along with very low humidity and a prolonged period of below-average rainfall – raised the risk of wildfires, especially in the interior of the county.
Conditions also prompted San Diego Gas and Electric to notify about 31,000 customers that they could have their power turned off to reduce the risk of wildfires. The notice expires at noon on Thursday.
“SDG & E teams and other personnel are on standby to minimize impacts to the best of their ability if the power goes out,” SDG & E said in a statement.
Thursday’s daily high will hit 60 on the coast and 70 in places like Miramar. San Diego will also be approaching 70 at Christmas. But the highs will only hit 65 on Saturday and 63 on Sunday. San Diego may not break out of the high 50s on Monday, as the storm wears on.
Rain is very necessary.
The San Diego International Airport has received 7.26 inches of precipitation since January 1. That’s 2.55 inches below average. Most of late summer and early fall was hotter than normal, and there have been 12 Santa Ana wind events since Sept. 1, which is two to three above average.
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