A low-pressure system from the Gulf of Alaska will bring strong winds to the mountains and deserts of San Diego County early Tuesday and a slight chance of rain to the western parts of the region, forecasters said.
The National Weather Service scheduled a wind advisory for the mountains and deserts until 8 a.m., saying wind gusts of up to 65 miles per hour are possible near mountain ridge tops, along desert mountain slopes and into adjacent desert areas.
"The winds will make driving difficult, especially for motorists with high profile vehicles,'' the NWS said. "Watch for broken tree limbs and other debris.''
The weather service said overall precipitation totals Tuesday will be light, with the coast and inland valleys seeing less than 0.15 inches of rainfall.
"The best chance of showers during the morning commute will be over western San Diego County,'' the NWS said, adding drier weather is in the forecast for this afternoon and evening before a second round of rain arrives Wednesday morning.
Elsewhere in the mountain and desert areas, sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts of 55 mph are expected.
Additionally, a winter weather advisory was in effect for the northern Sierra until 11 a.m. Tuesday, with an additional one to three inches of snow expected. KCRA-TV reports that two school districts in El Dorado County canceled classes for the day.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, the storm was expected to bring more thunder and lightning. Lightning damaged at least two homes in the region on Monday. It also struck several planes, though they continued to operate normally.
Showers have also fallen in Southern California, where a January wildfire stripped bare the steep slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains above the foothill cities of Glendora and Azusa, northeast of Los Angeles. No problems have been reported in communities below wildfire burn areas so far.
