Cold weather conditions continue in San Diego County

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – Sunday – Sunday was clear and sunny to wrap up the holiday weekend, but Sunday night and many nights this week are expected to remain cold.

As of 7 a.m., most parts of San Diego County were in the 40s, although some spots in the middle of the county dipped down to the mid-30s, according to the National Weather Service.   

A frost advisory was in effect for Monday morning, from midnight to 8 a.m., in the valleys and deserts. Lows were expected to drop to 31 to 39 degrees in the valleys and 29 to 35 in the deserts.   

Lows along the coast tonight will be between 40 to 48 degrees and will be accompanied by light winds, according to the NWS.   

Daytime highs are expected to heat up slightly until the middle of the week.

Another low pressure system will swing through the region with gusty winds through the weekend. There is no wet weather on the radar for the first week of December in Southern California, although northern parts of the state are expected to get soaked later this week.

Saturday – The Winter weather over the Thanksgiving holiday was on its way out Saturday, as snow on the local mountains began to melt and a warming trend should continue through the middle of the week.

The snow that topped peaks in Mount Laguna and lower elevations began to melt Saturday as temperatures climbed higher.   

Temperatures throughout the county remained cooler than usual Saturday, despite being about 5 degrees warmer than Friday, according to the NWS.

The slightly warmer days and cold nights were expected to continue through the weekend.   

Temperatures overnight dipped into the 20s inland and in parts of the high desert. A freeze watch remains in effect Saturday night for valleys, the inland empire and deserts.   

Temperatures throughout the county from the coast to the valleys will hit lows between 35 to 45, with lows in the mountains dipping as low as 19 to 26 degrees. Forecasters warned that such low temperatures can damage unprotected plants and crops and could harm outdoor animals.   

Temperatures are expected to reach between 5 to 10 degrees above normal by Wednesday followed by another cold, wet system that is expected to move into the county Friday.

Friday – Wintry weather, rain and mountain snow will continue to affect parts of San Diego County Friday, as will unusually high tides along the coast. Snow showers developed over the mountains late Thursday night and are expected to continue off and on through at least early this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

A winter weather advisory for mountain locales including Julian, Pine Valley, Palomar Mountain and Mount Laguna was set to remain in effect until 4 p.m. Forecasters said two to four inches of snow would accumulate in most mountain areas, but up to six inches may fall on the highest peaks.

The snow level was expected to hover at about 4,000 feet, which includes portions of Interstate 8 and Sunrise Highway. Motorists were urges to use caution on slick, snow covered roads.

Visibility may also be limited. The cold low pressure system responsible for the snow will also lead to continued rain through tonight and cooler weather through the weekend, according to the weather service.

Below freezing temperatures are also expected in some valleys and desert areas. High temperatures of 43 to 52 degrees today in the mountains are expected to fall to between 18 and 28 degrees tonight. In the valleys and deserts, patchy frost is expected to form tonight in colder, wind-sheltered locations amid low temperatures of 28 to 38 degrees and 32 to 41 degrees, respectively.

Along the coast, king tides — the highest astronomical tides of the year — could again lead to minor flooding. A high tide of 7.3 feet is expected at 9:12 a.m., and a coastal flood advisory will expire at noon.

Forecasters said locales especially susceptible to flooding this week included Imperial Beach, South Mission Beach, La Jolla Shores, Cardiff-by-the- Sea and beaches in Oceanside. Strong rip currents were also possible.

The unusually high tides are expected to gradually lower this weekend and drier, warmer weather is in the forecast for next week, according to the NWS.