Santa Ana winds will continue to taper off tonight with winds becoming calm overnight. Calmer winds continue Thursday, but it will take a while for the humidity to recover. Humidity will build by Thursday evening becoming noticeably less dry by Friday.
Peak wind gusts today reached 60mph or higher in Ramona, Palomar Mountain, La Posta and the highest gust clocked again at Sill Hill at 68mph. The Red Flag Warning and Wind Advisory will end at 6pm today.
It will be cold tonight! With clear skies, calming winds, and low humidity, temperatures will plummet into the 30s for most of the county, even the coast, by sunrise Thursday. The coldest spots will cool to the 20s, including the Oceanside Airport and Ramona, along with other foothill and mountain locations.
Humidity will hover between 8 and 20% through Thursday morning and gradually improve tomorrow evening through Friday as a low-pressure system offshore starts to push over Southern California. That system will bring increasing clouds by Thursday afternoon and a slight chance of sprinkles to patchy drizzle overnight Thursday into Friday morning and again overnight Friday into Saturday morning. Little to no accumulation is expected.
It will be cooler Friday through the weekend, with temperatures dropping to the upper 50s to mid-60s at the coast, low to mid-60s inland, 40s in the mountains, and 60s in the deserts.
San Diego's deficit continues to grow, now at 3.85" below average. All of Southern California is seeing one of the driest starts to the water year on record, and San Diego is the driest on record.
Offshore winds are expected to return next week, and without rain, each Santa Ana wind event will dry the brush even more, which is now hovering at record dry, and bring the threat of fires to spread quickly. Santa Ana season goes through February and can even linger into March.
Preparedness Tips:
Clear defensible space around your home.
Review your evacuation plan with your household.
Ensure your emergency kit is ready, including essential medications, supplies, and food including supplies for kids and pets.
Stay alert, and prioritize safety during these challenging conditions.
Check your vehicle for anything that's dragging that could spark a fire.
Thursday's Highs:
Coast: 59-66°
Inland: 66-71°
Mountains: 48-63°
Deserts: 71-73°
Follow ABC 10News Meteorologist Megan Parry on Facebook at Megan Parry 10News, Instagram @mis_meg_wx and Twitter @10NewsParry.
