Like clockwork, the “May Gray” weather pattern made itself known across San Diego County on Sunday bringing dark skies, cooler temps, and even isolated showers to some parts of our region.
An area of low pressure blanketed the county Sunday and the marine layer stuck around throughout the morning.
What is the marine layer? Why does it happen in San Diego? NBC 7 meteorologist Sheena Parveen explains and also shares insight on “forecasting frustrations” experienced by meteorologists when talking about the marine layer.
NBC 7’s Crystal Egger said isolated showers were already happening in parts of San Diego County by 7 a.m. – and the cool, cloudy pattern would stick around for the rest of the day, from coast to inland. The temperatures would be well below average on Sunday for this time of the year.
She said locals could expect a slight chance of showers or passing drizzle. Egger said this round of May Gray was expected to bring one-tenth of an inch of rain or less to the region – not a lot of moisture, yes, but enough to slicken the roadways.
The National Weather Service in San Diego said coastal areas like Vista and Oceanside had seen a bit of that precipitation early Sunday – and the same for valleys like Bonsall, Fallbrook, and Otay Mountain.
Egger said the pattern would linger into early Monday morning but dry out after that.
Meanwhile, he NWS said Sunday a wind advisory had been extended through 8 a.m. Monday for San Diego County’s mountains and deserts, including Borrego Springs.
“All as an upper-level low tracks into Southern California that’s driving the unsettled weather on the west side of the mountains and it’s also leading to strong winds and into the desert,” Egger said in her First Alert Forecast Sunday.
The NWS said west winds between 25 and 35 mph were expected, with gusts up to 60 mph. This could reduce visibility in those zones, so motorists were advised to use extra caution.
Egger said May Gray should take a break by midweek, when temps are expected to be back at their average – mid-70s inland.
“We start to settle down, enjoy some pretty nice May weather by midweek,” she explained.
“There’s no place like SoCal,” the NWS added.