Weather

By Sir Milo Loftin, County of San Diego Communications Office

March 15, 2025 (San Diego) - Most people in the region likely noted this week’s rain and — in some parts of the county—snow. Residents of San Diego County’s unincorporated areas can report non-emergency storm damage through the “Tell Us Now!” app. 

• Download and open the Tell Us Now! app on your Apple or Android device.
• Select a category and the nature of the request.
• Attach a photo of the request if available.
• Provide the location and a description of the request.
• Enter your contact information.
• Submit the request. 

• Air quality complaints, such as smoke, odors or dust.
• Vector control issues, like mosquito breeding areas, green pools or dead birds, which can be indicators of West Nile virus.
• Code compliance issues, like abandoned vehicles, graffiti or illegal dumping.
• Pricing and scale issues at businesses, including gas pumps and grocery stores.
• Non-emergency problems at a County-operated park or space.
• Other road service requests that are not storm related. 

By Miriam Raftery

March 5, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – A major storm system will bring strong winds and rain across our region, with heavy snow forecast starting tonight in East County mountains.  Mount Laguna could receive up to a foot of snow, with up to eight inches on Palomar Mountain and three inches in Julian by Friday morning. Heavy snow will make it difficult to travel above 4,000 feet in elevation.

In urban areas, flooding is possible.  El Cajon, La Mesa, and other areas are expected to receive up to an inch and a half of rain, the National Weather Service predicts.

Along the coast, a small craft advisory is in effect through Friday morning due to expected high surf and high seas.

Clear weather is forecast for the weekend, but another storm system may bring more rain, snow, and strong winds starting Monday and Tuesday.

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

February 10, 2025 (San Diego) - With the National Weather Service predicting the first heavy rains across San Diego County this week, the County and CAL FIRE are offering advice and free sandbags to residents and businesses in the unincorporated areas.

1. Slow down to avoid getting into an accident. It takes longer to stop when roads are wet. Allow yourself at least an extra 15 minutes or so to arrive at your destination to adjust for slower traffic.
2. Turn on your headlights to see better and make it easier for other drivers to see you. It’s the law.
3. Try to drive toward the middle lanes as water tends to gather in outside lanes.
4. Defog your windows for better visibility. Rain can cause windows to fog up. Along the same lines, check your windshield wipers preferably before it rains again and replace them as needed.
5. Avoid driving through deep water because it can affect your brakes. If you cannot avoid it, test your brakes afterward to make sure they’ve dried out and are working properly.
6. Turn around, don’t drown. In heavy rains, never drive through a flooded roadway if you cannot see the pavement. Even a few inches of water running at the right velocity can sweep a car, and even a truck, and its occupants off the roadway and downstream. You should not walk or swim across a flooded roadway either.
7. Give the cars in front of you extra distance. The spray from their vehicles — particularly from larger trucks and buses — can hamper your vision. And giving extra space to the guy in front of you also gives you more time to brake or adjust if you need to do so.
8. Keep calm, don’t oversteer or stomp on the brakes if you start to hydroplane or skid when your tires lose traction with the wet road. The Department of Motor Vehicles says keep the steering wheel straight and take your foot off the accelerator so your vehicle can slow down slowly.
9. Stay focused. Remember, it’s illegal, and dangerous, to try to text or use a hand-held cell phone when you’re driving.
10. Slow down for the cone zone if you see highway or road workers ahead or to your side. Watch out for public works crews and equipment.
11. As they have in the past, the County and CAL FIRE are providing free bags and/or sand at numerous fire stations for people who live in the unincorporated areas.

• Bonita: Bonita-Sunnyside Fire Station #38: 4900 Bonita Road, Bonita, CA 91902, P: 619-479-2346
• Boulevard: Boulevard Fire Station #47: 40080 Ribbonwood Road, Boulevard, CA 91905, P: 619-390-2020
• De Luz: De Luz Fire Station #16: 39431 De Luz Road, Fallbrook, CA 92028 P: 760-728-2422
• Dulzura: Dulzura Fire Station #30: 17304 Highway 94, Dulzura, CA 91917, P: 619-468-3391
• Fallbrook: Pala Mesa Fire Station #4, 4375 Pala Mesa Drive, Fallbrook, CA 92028, P: 760-723-2005
• Palomar Mountain: Palomar Mountain Fire Station #79, 21610 Crestline Road, Palomar Mtn., CA 92060, P: 760-742-3701
• Potrero: Potrero Fire Station #31 25130 Highway 94, Potrero, CA 91963 P: 619-478-5544
• Ramona: Ramona Fire Station #81, 24462 San Vicente Road, Ramona, CA 92065 P: 760-789-9465
• Ramona: Ramona Fire Station #82, 3410 Dye Road, Ramona, CA 92065, P: 760-789-0107
• Rincon: Rincon Fire Station #70: 16971 Highway 76, Pauma Valley, CA 92061, P: 760-742-3243
• Valley Center: Valley Center Fire Station #2, 28205 N. Lake Wohlford Road, Valley Center, CA 92082, P: 760-751-7605
• Warner Springs: Sunshine Summit Fire Station #59, 35227 Highway 79, Warner Springs, CA 92086, P: 760-782-9113

• Alpine: Alpine Fire Station #17 1364 Tavern Road Alpine, CA 91901 P: 619-445-2635
• Borrego Springs: Ocotillo Wells Fire Station #61 5841 Highway 78, Borrego Springs, CA 92004 P: 760-767-7430
• Borrego Springs: Borrego Springs Station #60, 2324 Stirrup Road, Borrego Springs, CA 92004, P: 760-767-5436
• Campo: Campo Fire Station #40 31577 Highway 94, Campo, CA 91906 P: 619-478-5516
• Campo: Lake Morena Fire Station #42 29690 Oak Drive, Campo, CA 91906 P: 619-478-5960
• Descanso: Descanso Fire Station #45 24592 Viejas Grade Road, Descanso, CA 91916 P: 619-445-7508
• El Cajon: Harbison Canyon Fire Station #24 551 Harbison Canyon Road, El Cajon, CA 92019 P: 619-445-5001
• Escondido: Deer Springs Fire Station #11 8709 Circle R Drive, Escondido, CA 92026 P: 760-749-8001
• Escondido: Miller Fire Station #15 9127 W. Lilac Road, Escondido, CA 92025 P: 760-728-8532
• Flinn Springs: Flinn Springs Fire Station#21 9711 Flynn Springs Road, El Cajon, CA 92021 P: 619-443-7121
• Jacumba: Jacumba Fire Station #43 1255 Jacumba St., Jacumba, CA 91934 P: 619-766-4535
• Jamul: Jamul Fire Station #36 14024 Peaceful Valley Ranch, Jamul, CA 91935 P: 619-669-6580
• Jamul: Deerhorn Fire Station #37 2383 Honeysprings Road, Jamul, CA 91935 P: 619-468-3030
• Julian: Julian-Cuyamaca: Fire Station #56, 3407 Hwy 79, Julian, CA 92036, P: 760-765-2885
• Julian: Shelter Valley Fire Station #62, 7260 Great Southern Overland, Julian, CA 92036 P: 760-765-0155
• Laguna: Mt. Laguna Fire Station #49 33947 Mt. Laguna Drive, Mt Laguna, CA 91948 P: 619-473-8281
• Mount Woodson: Mount Woodson Fire Station #86 16310 State Highway 67, Ramona, CA 92065 P: 760-789-1150
• Pine Valley: Pine Valley Fire Station #44 28850 Old Highway 80, Pine Valley, CA 91962 P: 619-578-6621
• Ranchita: Ranchita Fire Station #58 37370 Montezuma Valley Road, Ranchita, CA 92066 P: 760-782-3467
• Ramona: Intermountain Fire Station #85, 25858 Highway 78, Ramona, CA 92065 P: 760-789-3710
• San Pasqual: San Pasqual Fire Station #84 17701 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA 92025 P: 760-480-9924
• Warner Springs: Warner Springs Fire Station #52 31049 Highway 79, Warner Springs, CA 92086 P: 760-782-3560

Photo by Craig S. Maxwell today:  Snow in Rancho Cuyamaca State Park

January 27, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory idue to snow falling across San Diego’s mountain areas, with more snow possible tomorrow.

Areas impacted in the winter weather advisory range from high desert communities such as Campo and Jacumba north through Pine Valley, Descanso, Cuyamaca, Julian, Warner Springs and Mount Palomar.

Use caution when traveling due to icy, slippery roads and carry chains if traveling in mountain areas.

As CAL FIRE positions resources and staff, residents are urged to prepare too

Source:  CAL FIRE

January 7, 2025 (Sacramento) - In response to a forecast of critical fire weather conditions, CAL FIRE has increased firefighter staffing and pre-positioned resources throughout Southern California. The National Weather Service predicts strong offshore winds, low humidity, and high fire risk from Tuesday through Thursday. 

Key Actions by CAL FIRE:

• CAL FIRE is strategically moving firefighting resources from Northern California into Southern California including 45 additional fire engines and six additional hand crews to Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties.
• In addition to resources from Northern California, CAL FIRE San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego Units will staff additional firefighting resources above normal levels including fire engines, handcrews, bulldozers, water tenders and supervisory personnel 24/7.
• Staffing additional aerial firefighting resources in the region.
• Augmenting regional intelligence, dispatch and investigative resources.

“As we experienced in Ventura County in November with the Mountain Fire and again in December with the Franklin Fire in Malibu, wildfire is a year-round threat,” said CAL FIRE Director/Chief Joe Tyler. “Please be vigilant and don’t be the cause of the next wildfire in your community.”