Warm and dry conditions with periods of Santa Ana winds are expected in San Diego County this week, with the peak of the heat expected to be mid-week, according to the National Weather Service.
Mostly clear skies will prevail from Monday afternoon through the middle of the week due to periods of weak to moderate Santa Ana winds. The strongest winds will remain confined to coastal mountain slopes, foothills and below passes, with gusts from 25 to 45 mph expected Tuesday. A secondary peak in winds is expected on Friday, forecasters said.
By Tuesday, high temperatures will be 15 to 20 degrees above average, in the low to mid-80s across the inland coastal areas into the valleys as well as the low deserts.
Weaker Santa Ana winds will allow for minor cooling on Wednesday and Thursday mainly for coastal areas. The secondary uptick in Santa Ana winds on Friday is expected to bring additional warming to areas west of the mountains with high temperatures expected to run up to 20 degrees above average for inland areas.
Nights and mornings will remain cool, especially in the wind-sheltered areas, minimizing any heat impacts. A few degrees of cooling is expected into next weekend as weak onshore flow returns, but temperatures will continue to run above average, according to the NWS.
Mountains can expect highs to range from the mid to upper 60s and low 70s this week, with overnight lows in the 50s.
