Some Sunshine Likely to Break Through Today

Some sunshine is expected to break through the clouds this afternoon after a weak storm moves through San Diego County this morning.

According to National Weather Service forecasters, a storm originally forecast to bring heavier showers to the Southland was demoted Wednesday night when it became clear that only the fringes of the storm would hit the area.

“The main center went to Northern California,” forecaster Richard Stitt said. “This storm was probably advertised to be stronger than it will be.”

The revised forecast predicted light showers with less than half an inch of rain in coastal and inland areas and less than an inch in the mountains. No snow was forecast. The freezing level is high--about 11,000 feet.

“The storm should sweep through in the morning and begin tapering off by the afternoon,” Stitt said.

Temperatures have warmed gradually since Tuesday, when the cold snap ended and clouds helped cap the day’s warmth and seal it for the night. Nighttime lows rose nearly 10 degrees in some areas.

Lows should continue to be in the high 40s and low 50s along the coast and in the mid-40s inland. Daytime highs are expected to reach 66 in both inland and coastal areas.

A stronger storm is expected to arrive Friday night, packing heavier rain, Stitt said. The chance of showers on Friday was forecast to be at least 60%.

Rainfall has been normal so far this month, with 0.96 of an inch recorded. Total rainfall for February is normally 1.43 inches. The seasonal total is 8.18. That is 2.34 inches above the norm.

Ocean swells, which are expected to be an average 3 to 4 feet today, may rise to 8 feet with the new storm, Stitt said.

He said high tides should not exceed 4 1/2 feet, however, so the swells will not be as high as during the last series of storms.