A significant shift in the weather is expected today in San Diego County, where rain, gusty winds and colder temperatures are in store.
A pair of Pacific low pressure systems will bring periods of strong gusty west winds to the mountains and deserts starting later this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters said light to moderate precipitation throughout the county and a few inches of snow above 6,500 feet are likely late tonight.
The rainfall will probably start just before midnight or shortly after, said NWS meteorologist Greg Martin.
Forecasters refrained from predicting exactly when the second storm would arrive. But from late Thursday through Saturday, the snow levels could fall to between 4,000 and 4,500 feet, and more rainfall is expected elsewhere in the county.
The Weather Service projected that this week's unsettled weather will drop a quarter to a third of an inch of rain near the coast and a between a half-inch and an inch in the mountains. In the deserts, a tenth of an inch or less is expected.
The rain will be accompanied by gusty winds, particularly in the mountains and deserts.
Wind advisories for the mountains and deserts are scheduled from 4 o'clock this afternoon to 3 a.m. Wednesday, and again from noon Wednesday to 3 a.m. Thursday. During the advisory periods, 20- to 30-mile per hour winds, gusting up to 50 mph, are expected. The strongest winds will occur from late afternoon through late evening each day, according to the Weather Service.
"The winds will make driving difficult, especially for motorists with high-profile vehicles,'' a NWS advisory said "Watch for broken tree limbs and downed power lines.''
Drier, warmer weather is expected to return to the region Sunday.
