LITTLE RAIN EXPECTED THIS MONTH
Weather service forecaster says storms out of the Pacific Northwest aren’t dropping into Southern California
It's possible that San Diego County won't receive significant rainfall during December, which would significantly elevate the wildfire danger throughout the region, according to the National Weather Service.
“The storms that have been forming off the Pacific Northwest are not dropping into Southern California,” said Dan Gregorio, a weather service forecaster.
“They've been moving through places like southeast Idaho, Utah and Colorado. San Diego could end up with hardly any moisture at all.”
Since Jan. 1, San Diego International Airport has recorded 7.26 inches of rain, which is 2.16 inches below average. And since the annual rainy season began on Oct. 1, the airport has received 0.41 inches of rain, which is 1.78 inches below normal.
Instead of moisture, the region is getting a lot of hot, dry Santa Ana winds. The county has been whipped by a series of them since October, including two that produced gusts over 90 mph in the local mountains and gusts over 60 mph in the foothills. SDG&E was forced to temporarily shut off people's electricity to help minimize the chance of starting or spread a wildfire.
A weak Santa Ana brought warm temperatures back to San Diego on Tuesday and will make the region even hotter today, forecasters say. San Diego will hit at least 70 today, five degrees above average. The weather will turn cool for a couple of days before things warm up again over the weekend.