A cold storm will bring rain, snow and gusty winds to San Diego County this weekend, meteorologists said Friday.
The National Weather Service said showers may start as early as Friday evening but will be most widespread Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning. Rainfall totals from the entire weekend are expected to range from a half-inch to an inch along coast to up to two inches in the mountains.
Heavy snow is likely in areas above 5,000 feet, according to the weather service, which scheduled a winter storm watch for the local mountains from Saturday afternoon to Monday afternoon.
"Be prepared for potentially hazardous winter travel through the regional mountains and passes," the weather service said.
Less than four inches of snow accumulation is forecasted for areas between 4,000 and 5,000 feet, and four to eight inches is expected from 5,000 to 6,000 feet.
In addition to the winter storm watch, a wind advisory is scheduled for the mountains and the deserts from 6 p.m. Friday to 3 a.m. Sunday. In issuing the wind advisory, the weather service said sustained west winds of 25 to 35 miles per hour and gust up to 55 mph are likely.
"Wintry weather may extend into Tuesday," the agency said. "Stay tuned to later forecasts to fine tune the expected conditions and amounts."
