Francella Perez’s evening forecast for Feb. 27, 2025
Santa Ana winds returned to San Diego County Wednesday evening, surging temperatures and prompting a wind advisory for much of the region.
"The reason for the warmth, the ridge of high pressure bringing us those Santa Ana winds, which peaked earlier [Thursday] morning," NBC 7 meteorologist Francella Perez said.
The wind event was expected to produce weak Santa Ana winds through Thursday. The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory that started at 12 a.m. and expired at 4 p.m. for the San Diego County mountains and valleys, as well as for some parts of Riverside.
Weak to moderate Santa Ana winds begin this evening and last through tomorrow. The most persistent winds will be in the Riverside/San Diego County mountains and eastern valleys. Elevated fire weather conditions last through tomorrow evening. Outdoor burning is not recommended! pic.twitter.com/kMFKFIpCnI
— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) February 26, 2025
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
"Overall, weak Santa Ana winds, which will continue through [Thursday] night," Perez said, adding that winds would diminish into the single digits by late Thursday.
Gusty winds combined with hot temperatures and low humidity were also elevating the chance for wildfires to spark and spread rapidly, though the NWS did not issue any fire weather watches as of Thursday.
Even before Santa Ana winds ramped up, a brush fire sparked in the mountain range where the wind advisory would later take effect.
Local
Temperatures were expected to be the hottest of the year, so far. It was possible some inland areas would break temperature records; the NWS predicted Escondido and El Cajon.
Feel the heat out there today? Some of our sites broke their record high temp for the date! Much cooler weather will occur as we head into the first full week of March. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/Vu2oTGSfsK
— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) February 28, 2025
Borrego Spring on Tuesday already reached its warmest temperature since late October, the NWS reported.
After Thursday, the weather will do a 180. Temperatures will plummet significantly from the highs reached earlier in the week and cloud cover will increase.
"Coastal areas dropping off about 10-15 degrees. Inland valleys could drop off 20 degrees in the span of just one day," Bledsoe said. "Mountains and deserts won't see the quick change quite as much because the Santa Anas are going to keep those areas relatively cool anyways."
San Diego County has a chance of some rain as soon as Friday.
"We're going to have a series of storm systems," Perez said. "The first one coming in Friday night into Saturday. The secondary one Sunday into Monday, and there's a potential for a third one for Wednesday or Thursday."
