Gusts of fierce wind sway palm trees. Photo via Pixabay.
Cooler temperatures and strong, gusty winds near the San Diego County desert passes were expected Saturday, the National Weather Service said.
A wind advisory was issued Saturday from 2-10 p.m. for the deserts and mountains.
The winds and very dry air over those areas could elevate fire weather conditions Saturday. Conditions will be near critical for several hours near the passes and into the lower deserts, where west winds of 20 to 35 mph and gusts of 50 to 60 mph were expected, along with minimum relative humidity of 5% to 10%.
The marine layer was broken and rather thin Saturday morning, leading to rapid clearing under the bright sun, forecasters said.
High temperatures along the coast Saturday were predicted to be 68 to 73 degrees with overnight lows of 52 to 57. Highs in the valleys were expected to be 74 to 79 with overnight lows of 46 to 53. Highs in the mountains were expected to be 68 to 78 with overnight lows of 41 to 50, and highs in the deserts were predicted to be 94 to 99 with overnight lows of 60 to 67.
Look for a sharp warmup on Monday over the valleys as winds turn briefly offshore, the NWS said. Seasonally warm weather should prevail for the remainder of the week, along with periods of clouds. There is even a chance for some precipitation as winds turn southerly, bringing a return of some monsoonal moisture to Southern California.
Breezy northwest winds occasionally gusting over 20 knots were likely across the outer coastal waters, including near San Clemente Island, on Saturday afternoon and evening. Otherwise, no hazardous marine weather was expected through Wednesday.
— City News Service