WEATHER UPDATE: SATURDAY 3-30-2024

The first round of heavy rain is moving through the area as I type this update at 10 AM. The core of the storm system is settling into the area, so we will continue to see periods of showers and isolated downpours through Sunday evening. 

The atmosphere is unstable, so isolated thunderstorms will develop. The strongest ones will have some small hail. Snow levels will range from 5,000 to 6,000 feet, so the highest peaks will get several inches of snow accumulations.

I've included the updated rain and snow computer projections.

NEXT RAIN CHANCE SAN DIEGO: UPDATED THURSDAY 3-28-2024

Our next storm system is spinning off the coast of the Pacific Northwest. A reinforcing shot of energy will migrate out of the Gulf Of Alaska and deepen the system and push it southward into our area.

Showers will arrive by late Friday evening, then periods of heavy rain and isolated thunderstorms will be possible Friday night into Saturday morning. Intermittent showers and isolated downpours will then linger Saturday afternoon through Sunday evening. Rain totals will range from 2 to 4".

Snow levels will remain fairly high, though the tallest mountains will see a wintry mix with some light accumulations.

I've posted the computer projected rain and snow totals below.

SAN DIEGO RAIN TOTALS: SATURDAY 3-23-2024 TO SUNDAY 3-24-2024

Barona (BNAC1)	0.59
Barret Lake (BRTC1)	1.01
Barrett Junction (BAJC1)	1.17
Bonsall (BOSC1)	0.22
Brown Field (SDM)	0.70
Cameron Guard Station (CMNC1)	1.26
Camp Elliot (MPEC1)	0.38
Campo (CMFC1)	1.34
Case Springs (CSPC1)	0.41
CMP Target Range (CTGC1)	0.22
Couser Canyon (OUSC1)	0.25
Coyote Cyn Creek (CCYC1)	0.02
Cuyamaca Reservoir (CYDC1)	2.75
Descanso (DENC1)	1.64
Dulzura Summit (DULC1)	0.69
Echo Dell (ECDC1)	1.64
El Camino Del Norte (ECMC1)	0.23
El Capitan Dam (ELPC1)	1.47
Encinitas (ENCC1)	0.08
Escondido (ESOC1)	0.35
Fallbrook 5NE (FBOC1)	0.35
Fallbrook (FBZC1)	0.32
Fallbrook (FLBC1)	0.25
Fallbrook Community AP (L18)	0.27
Flinn Springs (FLYC1)	1.26
Harbison Canyon (HARC1)	1.49
Imperial Beach (TIXC1)	0.32
Julian (JULC1)	1.79
Kearny Mesa (KEAC1)	0.17
La Mesa (LMSC1)	0.52
Lake Hodges (HODC1)	0.35
Lake Morena (MRAC1)	1.57
Lakeside / El Cajon (LCKC1)	0.83
Las Flores (LSFC1)	0.24
Lindbergh Int'l Airport (SAN)	0.12
Lower Oat Flats (OFLC1)	0.55
Mesa Grande (MEGC1)	1.10
Miramar Marine Corps Station (NKX)	0.29
Mission Valley (BVDC1)	0.31
Missle (MSXC1)	0.96
Montgomery Field (MYF)	0.24
Mount Laguna (LGMC1)	1.02
Mount Laguna (MLGC1)	0.84
North Island NAS (NZY)	0.11
Oak Grove (OGVC1)	0.23
Oceanside (OCNC1)	0.20
Oceanside (OKB)	0.30
Otay Mountain (OTYC1)	1.35
Pala 2W (PZAC1)	0.33
Palomar Airport (CRQ)	0.26
Palomar Airport (PLMC1)	0.27
Palomar Mountain CRS (PMMC1)	1.31
Palomar Mountain USFS (PAMC1)	0.67
Pine Hills (PIHC1)	2.14
Pine Valley County Park (PNVC1)	1.89
Point Loma (L13)	0.18
Potrero (PRCC1)	0.87
Potrero CDF (POTC1)	0.82
Poway (PWYC1)	0.52
Ramona (RMNC1)	0.50
Ramona (RNM)	0.64
Ranchita (RTAC1)	0.44
Ranchita CDF (RCHC1)	0.56
Ranchita Margarita (RMGC1)	2.09
Rancho Bernardo (RNBC1)	0.67
Rincon Springs (RINC1)	0.37
Roads Division 1 HQ (RDHC1)	0.77
San Diego Estates (ESTC1)	1.03
San Felipe Valley (SFVC1)	0.24
San Marcos Cnty Rd Station (SMXC1)	0.24
San Marcos Landfill (NMLC1)	0.18
San Miguel (MIGC1)	0.24
San Pasqual (PSQC1)	0.33
Santa Ysabel (SYSC1)	1.09
Santee - Mast Rd (STEC1)	0.86
Skyline Ranch (SKLC1)	0.40
Sutherland Dam (SUDC1)	0.92
Talega (TLGC1)	0.29
Temecula (TEMC1)	0.24
Valley Center (VLCC1)	0.58
Warner Springs (WSGC1)	0.31
Wire Mountain (WIRC1)	0.21
Witch Creek Fire Station (WCHC1)	1.09
Wohlford Dam (WHLC1)	0.54

 

NEXT RAIN CHANCE SAN DIEGO: UPDATED WEDNESDAY 3-20-2024

The skies over the Pacific Ocean are turbulent. The satellite loop below shows a small system entering the Pacific NW, another one farther West over the central Pacific, and a third one diving out of the Gulf of Alaska. 

This is typical during the transitional months of spring. It can also make for challenging forecasts. With that said, it looks like periods of rain will be likely over this weekend. It won't be a complete washout, but you should plan accordingly.

Showers should arrive late Saturday morning and then persist intermittently through Sunday. The best chance for isolated downpours will be Saturday evening into early Sunday morning. Showers should dissipate by Sunday afternoon, however, isolated showers will persist in the mountains until Sunday night.

Snow levels will remain high, so I'm not expecting any snow accumulations in local San Diego mountains, though there could be a brief wintry mix on the highest peaks.

I'm watching another system that could bring more rain for the weekend of  Saturday, 3/30. It's still far away, so there will be some adjusting on the time and intensity of this storm. I'll keep you posted.

 

NEXT RAIN CHANCE SAN DIEGO: UPDATED WEDNESDAY 3-13-2024

A small storm system is currently in Northern Idaho - seen as a slight swirl in the satellite loop below. That system will dive southward and hover around our area in the coming days. 

Isolated afternoon/evening showers will develop each day from Friday through Monday. The best chance for these will be in the mountains (40%), though a stray shower could try to sneak into the inland and coastal areas (20% or less).

Snow levels will remain fairly high, with the highest peaks seeing a brief wintry mix.

I've posted the 4-day rainfall projections below. I'm also keeping an eye on potentially another system for the weekend of 3-23, though it's not looking too impressive yet. 

SAN DIEGO RAIN TOTALS: WEDNESDAY 3-6-2024 TO THURSDAY 3-7-2024

Alpine (ANEC1)	0.64
Barona (BNAC1)	0.49
Barret Lake (BRTC1)	0.55
Barrett Junction (BAJC1)	0.77
Birch Hill (IRCC1)	1.51
Bonita (BNNC1)	0.38
Borrego Palm Canyon (BRPC1)	0.03
Borrego Springs (BGOC1)	0.00
Brown Field (SDM)	0.40
Cactus County Park (CCPC1)	0.39
Cameron Guard Station (CMNC1)	0.64
Camp Elliot (MPEC1)	0.58
Campo (CMFC1)	0.91
Case Springs (CSPC1)	0.73
CMP Target Range (CTGC1)	0.36
Core Grade Road (OLEC1)	0.35
Cuyamaca Reservoir (CYDC1)	1.79
Descanso (DENC1)	0.82
Descanso RS (DSCC1)	0.79
Dulzura Summit (DULC1)	0.86
Eastern Tanks (ETKC1)	1.94
Echo Dell (ECDC1)	0.50
El Camino Del Norte (ECMC1)	0.26
El Capitan Dam (ELPC1)	0.86
Encinitas (ENCC1)	0.25
Escondido (ESOC1)	0.21
Fallbrook (FBZC1)	0.33
Fallbrook (FLBC1)	0.27
Fallbrook 5NE (FBOC1)	0.37
Fallbrook Community AP (L18)	0.28
Fashion Valley (FSNC1)	0.65
Flinn Springs (FLYC1)	0.85
Goose Valley (GOSC1)	0.56
Granite Hills (GRHC1)	0.60
Henshaw Dam (HAWC1)	0.77
Japatul Fire Station (JFSC1)	0.59
Julian (JLNC1)	0.70
Julian (JULC1)	0.59
Kearny Mesa (KEAC1)	0.46
La Jolla Amago (LJOC1)	2.12
La Mesa (LMSC1)	0.62
Lake Hodges (HODC1)	0.42
Lake Morena (MRAC1)	0.84
Lakeside / El Cajon (LCKC1)	0.69
Las Flores (LSFC1)	0.08
Lindbergh Int'l Airport (SAN)	0.51
Lower Oat Flats (OFLC1)	0.35
Mesa Grande (MEGC1)	0.81
Miramar Lake (MMRC1)	0.59
Miramar Marine Corps Station (NKX)	0.58
Mission Valley (BVDC1)	0.58
Missle (MSXC1)	0.74
Montgomery Field (MYF)	0.46
Mount Laguna (LGMC1)	0.55
Mount Laguna (MLGC1)	0.60
Mt Woodson Rd - Ramona (RMAC1)	0.56
North Island NAS (NZY)	0.34
Oak Grove (OGVC1)	0.41
Oceanside (OCNC1)	0.36
Oceanside (OKB)	0.35
Otay Mountain (OTYC1)	1.12
Pala 2W (PZAC1)	0.27
Palomar Airport (PLMC1)	0.31
Palomar Mountain (PRMC1)	0.59
Palomar Mountain CRS (PMMC1)	1.39
Palomar Mountain USFS (PAMC1)	0.60
Pine Hills (PIHC1)	1.14
Pine Hills Fire Station (PHIC1)	1.14
Pine Valley County Park (PNVC1)	0.52
Point Loma (L13)	0.39
Potrero (PRCC1)	0.88
Potrero CDF (POTC1)	0.82
Poway (PWYC1)	0.51
Rainbow County Park (RABC1)	0.18
Ramona (RMNC1)	0.69
Ramona (RNM)	0.47
Ranchita (RTAC1)	0.40
Ranchita CDF (RCHC1)	0.36
Ranchita Margarita (RMGC1)	1.12
Rancho Bernardo (RNBC1)	0.76
Red Gate Repeater (RGPC1)	0.86
Rincon Springs (RINC1)	0.78
Roads Division 1 HQ (RDHC1)	0.28
San Diego Estates (ESTC1)	0.29
San Marcos Cnty Rd Station (SMXC1)	0.39
San Marcos Landfill (NMLC1)	0.43
San Miguel (MIGC1)	0.43
San Pasqual (PSQC1)	0.56
Santa Rosa Plateau (SRUC1)	0.50
Santa Ysabel (SYSC1)	1.09
Skyline Ranch (SKLC1)	0.68
Sutherland Dam (SUDC1)	0.86
Talega (TLGC1)	0.96
Temecula (TEMC1)	0.43
Thousand Trails - Jamul (TTRC1)	0.47
Tierra Del Sol (TRRC1)	0.45
Valley Center (VALC1)	0.66
Valley Center (VLCC1)	0.78
Volcan Mountain (VCNC1)	0.59
Warner Springs (WSGC1)	0.44
Wire Mountain (WIRC1)	0.36
Witch Creek Fire Station (WCHC1)	1.05
Wohlford Dam (WHLC1)	0.64