More Rain Due as North Wind Cools the Air

More rain and cooler temperatures are expected through Wednesday, the National Weather Service said Monday, as a Pacific Northwest low-pressure system brings wintry weather to San Diego County.

Forecaster Dan Atkin said a cold northern system, rarely seen this far south in October, is expected to move in by today, with continued mostly cloudy skies, a threat of rain and dropping temperatures.

Light sprinkles and showers brought measurable amounts of rain throughout the county Sunday and Monday when two low-pressure systems, one packed with tropical moisture from the southwest, and another bringing precipitation from the north, joined to bring muggy weather and rain.

Rainfall totals for the storm were 0.11 of an inch at Lindbergh Field, 0.50 at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, 0.46 at Mt. Laguna, 0.22 at Point Loma, 0.10 at Del Mar, 0.07 in Santee, 0.01 in Escondido, 0.10 in El Cajon and 0.26 in Julian.

The two days’ rain brought the seasonal total at Lindbergh Field to 0.31 of an inch--just 0.1 of an inch below the seasonal average.

The unstable air mass generated by the two weather systems prompted forecasters to issue a water spout warning to sea craft Monday night, but Atkin said the warning would end by today as tropical moisture is pushed out by the latest invading front from the Northwest.

A 10% chance of rain today should increase to a 20% chance by tonight--and to a 30% chance by Wednesday, forecasters said.

Temperatures will cool with the increasing chance of rain, and variable clouds today may change to a solid gray cloud cover by Wednesday.

In contrast to the hot, muggy weather Saturday, temperatures fell as much as 20 degrees by Monday throughout the county. Saturday’s high of 86 downtown dropped to 78 on Sunday and to 73 on Monday. El Cajon highs that hit 94 on Saturday dropped to 85 Sunday and to an unseasonal 73 on Monday.

The trend is expected to continue with slight cooling today and wintry temperatures by Wednesday.

High temperatures at the beach, where the ocean water temperature hovers at 67 degrees, are expected to be from 69 to 74 today and in the 60s on Wednesday. Ocean breezes from the south to southwest may reach 20 m.p.h., with surf of 2 to 3 feet.

Both inland and coastal area highs of 70 to 76 degrees today are expected to be in the 66- to 72-degree range Wednesday.

Coastal lows are expected to be in the 60s, and inland nighttime lows are expected to be in the high 50s.