Stubbornly summer-like weather in the San Diego area gave way Wednesday to considerably cooler conditions courtesy of a low-pressure atmospheric system expected to deliver some modest rainfall across the region.
Through Thursday, thermometer readings will drop to 15 to 20 degrees below average for this time of year in the East County highlands — in the 40- to 50-degree range — along with much lower highs in the 60s to around 70 along the coast and in the valleys, the National Weather Service reported.
Showers were expected to move into the county Wednesday afternoon, with a second round arriving in the late evening, according to the NWS. The precipitation may be less widespread overnight, but could be accompanied by a greater potential for brief high-intensity downpours from isolated thunderstorms and strong cloudbursts, forecasters advised.
The rainfall will likely continue Thursday morning, along with a slight chance of more thunderstorms in the afternoon.
Total moisture accumulations should range from 0.75 of an inch to one inch in the northwestern reaches of the San Diego area to one-quarter to one- half of an inch farther south, the NWS reported.
Following the departure of the unsettled weather, warmer and drier conditions will return for the weekend, according to meteorologists.
