Get ready for a significant shift in weather conditions this Easter holiday weekend. After a dry and relatively calm day, a cold Pacific storm is set to bring a dramatic change, giving us a weather whiplash.
Friday morning is nearly 10 degrees cooler, with scattered fog and visibility reduced near the foothill and mountain neighborhoods.
Today will be mostly sunny, with sweeping clouds across the coast and inland valleys. It'll be cooler, especially inland, with coastal and inland valleys climbing to the 60s, mountain highs in the 40s, and deserts in the 70s. We'll continue to have accelerated winds across the mountains and deserts, with breezy conditions west of the mountains. A Wind Advisory starts at 2 p.m. for the deserts and lasts through 11 p.m. If you're traveling for Easter, use caution driving along the passes and freeways along the foothills.
Tomorrow, we'll have moderate to heavy rain starting in neighboring counties to our north before the rain moves south into the north county and becomes widespread.
Be particularly cautious on Saturday morning through the late afternoon. We're anticipating a steady band of moderate to heavy rain, which could lead to an elevated risk of flooding. The potential for pop-up thunderstorms increases the threat of flash flooding, especially in low-lying areas and neighborhoods with poor drainage. A Flood Watch has been issued from the coast to the mountains, starting at 4 a.m. Saturday and lasting through 6 p.m. Sunday. This could be upgraded to an Advisory or Warning, indicating imminent flooding for affected areas. The coast and valleys could get up to 2 inches of rain by Monday and the mountains up to 3 inches, with isolated amounts up to 5 inches.
Towards the late afternoon, rain will transition to snow for elevations around 5,000 feet and higher. At least Palomar Mountain and Mount Laguna will get a few inches, and Julian could get a dusting. A Winter Storm Watch will be in effect for the mountains from 3 a.m. Saturday until 6 a.m. Monday.
Another significant threat will be the winds. Winds will start from the south before shifting westerly on Sunday. Accelerated winds will target the coast and valleys for the first half of Saturday with 20-30mph winds and up to 40mph gusts. Then, hazardous winds will target the mountains and deserts with isolated gusts up near 60mph by Saturday evening. The wind and wintry precipitation will cause low visibility for travel from the coast to the mountains by 6 a.m. A Wind Advisory will be in place for the coast and valleys through Saturday at 12 p.m.
In addition, the temperatures will take a big hit. Daytime highs will plummet 10 to 15 degrees, with the most noticeable cooling for the valleys. The coast and valleys will struggle to get above 60 during the day, while the mountains climb to the low 40s and deserts in the low 60s.
On Easter Sunday, rain becomes scattered, though still heavy at times, with an ongoing threat of thunderstorms. Breezy conditions will continue to linger across the county.
Showers will continue to linger into Monday before we dry out and warm up on Tuesday. But don't hold your breath; another storm could bring more rain on the first weekend of April.
Continue to follow the ABC10News Pinpoint weather team for the latest updates and tracking of these storms.
Friday's Highs
Coast: 61-63°
Inland: 56-64°
Mountains: 50-60°
Deserts: 72-77°
For the latest news, weather and traffic updates, follow Vanessa Paz on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
