A fast-moving Pacific storm will blast San Diego County with strong, cold winds Thursday and likely drop snow on Interstate 8 in the eastern part of the county Friday, creating dicey driving conditions on one of the region’s most important travel corridors, the National Weather Service said.
The system also could drop 0.30 inch of rain from the coast to inland valleys, further saturating areas prone to rock- and mudslides.
Forecasters say the winds could gust upwards of 50 mph on Thursday afternoon on I-8 east of Pine Valley, affecting high-profile vehicles moving between San Diego and Imperial counties. The winds also will be fierce at the coast, possibly hitting 35 mph in some areas, including San Diego.
The air will become cold enough Thursday night and early Friday to drop 1 to 2 inches of snow on parts on eastern I-8, as well as 3 to 4 inches on Mount Laguna and 4 to 6 inches atop Palomar Mountain.
The jolt will prevent San Diego’s daytime high from rising above 58 on Friday. That’s 10 degrees below average. El Cajon will won’t surpass 56, and Escondido will only reach 53. Julian isn’t expected to rise above 37.
The county will be cool but largely dry Saturday and Sunday. But forecasters say the polar jet stream will again drop into Southern California on Monday and could produce 0.10 inch of rain across much of San Diego County, preventing the public from enjoying a partial eclipse of the sun.
San Diego County has recorded 12.18 inches of precipitation since the yearlong rainy season began on Oct. 1. That’s 2.39 inches more than what the airport averages during an entire season.
