First Alert Forecast

San Diego County heat wave brings chance for monsoonal showers, thunderstorms

NBCUniversal Media, LLC

What to Know

  • The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for San Diego County deserts until Thursday 8 p.m.
  • A heat watch is in effect for the inland valleys and mountains until Sunday 8 p.m.
  • Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms on Sunday in San Diego

An excessive heat warning has been issued until at least 8 p.m. Thursday for the San Diego County deserts, where highs are expected to reach 114 degrees, which could lead to heat-related illness, according to the National Weather Service.

On Saturday, San Diego County desert communities heated up to about 12 degrees warmer than Friday, with the most significant change in the eastern valleys and foothills, forecasters said.

A lesser excessive heat watch for the inland valleys and mountains expired at 8 p.m. Sunday.

San Diego's weather pattern also has a chance to bring some thunderstorms overnight into Sunday, so conditions could also be muggy.

Sunday's downtown San Diego high was expected to be 79, with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.

For the coasts, "you'll notice clouds even into the afternoon, and that is because we have a moisture source coming out of the south which is going to potentially make things a little bit muggier today and may trigger a pop-up shower, but really not counting on it," said NBC 7 meteorologist Angelica Campos said on Sunday.

"The best chances are going to be farther east," she added.

Even so, Sunday could be a good beach day. High tide will be around noon, and low tide will take place at 4:06 p.m. Water temperatures is around 65 degrees, with moderate rip currents. Clouds will increase throughout the morning going from sunny at the coast to partly cloudy this afternoon.

"Something else interesting to keep an eye on this weekend will be a surge of tropical moisture coming from the south late Saturday into Sunday. This will bring a slight chance for showers/thunderstorms," NBC 7 Meteorologist Greg Bledsoe said.

Many San Diegans are spending their weekend at the San Diego County Fair to escape the scorching temperatures in the inland valleys.  NBC 7's Jeanette Quezada why many people find the fair to be the perfect spot.

Highs above degrees 110 were expected Sunday and into next week in the desert, the NWS said. Desert lows will range from 82 to 92.

The county has opened its Cool Zones for those who need a place to beat the heat.

North County residents started early to beat the heat, NBC 7's Adonis Albright reports.

“Our housing inventory in San Diego county is an aging housing inventory and a lot of those places don’t have great insulation and so single-family homes apartments and condominiums aren’t always the break from the heat so having access to be able to get into these truly air-conditioned spaces is a huge, huge thing for so many of our residents," said Megan Howell, Recreation Supervisor for the City of La Mesa.

Sunday temperatures:

  • Coast: Mostly sunny - partly cloudy upper 75-87
  • Valleys: Mostly - partly cloudy, chance for thunderstorms 86-100
  • Mountains: Sunny - partly cloudy, chance for thunderstorms 89-99
  • Desert: Mostly sunny, chance for thunderstorms
Contact Us