Storm Expected to Bring Coast Half an Inch of Rain

There will be no hail for the chief when President Bush arrives in San Diego this evening, but there should be plenty of rain, according to forecasters.

“When the President lands, it will be raining,” said Wilbur Shigehara of the National Weather Service in San Diego. Bush is making an overnight stop in San Diego as part of a cross-country tour to promote his solutions to the nation’s health care problems.

A storm from the Gulf of Alaska is expected to drop half an inch of rain along the coast and a full inch in the inland areas today and Friday, Shigehara said. Up to 2 inches of rain is expected in the mountains, he said.

The high temperature at the beaches will be 60 degrees today, with a water temperature of 57, Shigehara said.

The inland and coastal areas will have highs between 58 and 63, with a low of 51 degrees.

The high in the mountains will reach 40 during the day, with lows in the low 30s, Shigehara said.

A high of 70 is expected in the deserts, with lows in the 40s.

The storm should kick up the waves at San Diego County beaches, Shigehara said, with waves cresting at 4 to 7 feet.

The weather could also hamper the cleanup efforts of the sewage spill off Point Loma, he said. Crews will have to deal with gusty winds and choppy seas.

Below the surface, “the storm will stir up the water, making it more murky,” Shigehara said. Larger waves will also disperse the effluent at a greater rate, he said. The sewage is leaking at a rate of 170 million gallons every 24 hours.

Today’s storm is the first of two that are expected in San Diego before the weekend is over, Shigehara said.