The monsoon whipped up a dust storm Monday in Borrego Springs and sparked lightning in Poway, Campo and Palomar Mountain. It produced sprinkles from San Diego to Fallbrook, and raised the dew point to 70 in Oceanside Harbor and Encinitas, giving the air a tropical feel.
The rainfall was modest — 0.07 inches fell in La Jolla, 0.06 inches fell in Fallbrook and 0.03 at Ramona. But it was welcome in a county where the chaparral is drying out, raising the threat of wildfires.
The National Weather Service said similar conditions will prevail on Tuesday, and that thunder and lightning could become more widespread if coastal clouds fade out, allowing the atmosphere to become more dynamic.
Forecasters said there’s a 31 percent chance that lightning will hit Mount Laguna on Tuesday, a 31 percent chance that it will strike Julian, and a 14 percent chance that it will move into San Diego, where the city’s daytime high will be 76, which is slightly below average.
The recent heat has enabled the sea-surface temperature to reach 72 at Oceanside Harbor and 70 in Mission Bay. Water temperatures are often a bit higher this time of year.
It is likely that San Diego International Airport will report a ninth straight month of below-average temperatures in July when final figures are announced this week. Through Sunday, the average monthly temperature was 70.3 degrees. The historic average is 70.7 degrees.
