A five-day heat advisory will go into effect Monday for San Diego County’s coastal areas and inland valleys, and an extreme heat watch will follow Thursday in Borrego Springs. The temperature there could hit 100 for the first time this year, the National Weather Service said.
Most areas west of the mountains will be 15 to 25 degrees above normal, including spots close to the beach. San Diego’s daytime high will be 85 on Monday, 87 on Tuesday, 88 on Wednesday, 89 on Thursday and Friday, and 86 on Saturday. The seasonal high is 67.
Forecasters said the temperature could hit 100 degrees Thursday and Friday along the corridor that extends from the Escondido area south to El Cajon.
The heat wave began on Thursday and is intensifying now due to a combination of dry, offshore winds and a large high-pressure ridge over California.
The heat is not expected to significantly elevate the risk of wildfires because the county received significant rain this winter, says San Diego Gas & Electric. But that could begin to change. San Diego has not received significant rain since Feb. 19. And there is no rain in the forecast through March 23.
It’s possible that San Diego could remain dry for the entire month of March, something that hasn’t occurred since 1997. The city averages 1.46 inches of rain in March.
The longer-range forecast suggests that the San Diego Padres can expect good weather on March 26 when they begin the season with a home game against Detroit. Spring begins on March 20.