Strong winds that raked much of San Diego County were dying down Thursday evening, giving way to what was expected to be a clear, cold night — overnight lows as cold as 32 to 37 degrees could blanket many areas in the inland valleys in frost early Friday.
Early Saturday could be similarly chilly, and even at the coast, temperatures both mornings could dip into the low 40s, forecasters added. Still, it should warm up during the day on both Friday and Saturday across the county.
But overnight Thursday, residents in the broad swath of the county under frost advisory should bring their pets indoors, the National Weather Service said. Take precautions with any sensitive plants, too, by wrapping them and, if they’re in containers, moving them indoors or closer to a wall, advised David Ross at Walter Andersen Nursery in Poway.
Farther west, king tides will keep smacking the county’s coastline Friday, along with more high surf — creating the potential for some flooding and beach erosion at high tide, but also creating prime chances to explore tide pools at low tide.
That was especially true as a low-pressure system that brought high winds and scattered showers to the county overnight was leaving the region Thursday.
By 7 a.m. Thursday, more than 1 inch of precipitation had fallen at Palomar Mountain and Lake Cuyamaca, and just under one-third of an inch fell in Ramona and Escondido. Areas closer to the coast got much less rain — including just over a tenth of an inch at the San Diego airport and in La Mesa.
An updated high surf advisory in effect until Thursday evening warned of large breaking waves of 4 to 7 feet, with occasional sets up to 8 feet . A coastal flooding advisory remains in effect through Friday morning, after high tide.
Some of the highest tides will be in the southern part of the county. In National City, the tide will top 7 feet at its highest, around 9 a.m. Friday, according to predictions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric istration. The tide will be lowest around 4:30 p.m. Friday.
Exact times and heights will vary at other locations along the coast.
The high surf was expected to create dangerous swimming and surfing conditions, and compounded with the high tides, it could erode beaches and flood some low-lying beach parking lots, forecasters warned.
But the dramatic winter tides could also give a rare opportunity to peer at crustaceans, anemones and other marine life in the nooks and crannies of rocky shorelines when the tide is at its lowest — especially in places like La Jolla, Cabrillo National Monument and Cardiff State Beach in Encinitas. Just not to turn your back to the sea if you do.
Coastal organizations are taking advantage of the opportunity. At low tide Thursday, the Surfrider Foundation was hosting a tide pool walk in La Jolla, and around high tide Friday morning, the San Diego Audubon Society is leading a walk in Kendall-Frost Marsh Reserve on Mission Bay. You can sign up at sandiegoaudubon.org.
The California Coastal Commission, meanwhile, wants the public’s help documenting the king tides. You can share your photos of the high tides at coastal.ca.gov/kingtides/.
But the wind event and showers early Thursday should yield to balmier temperatures Friday and Saturday — relatively speaking, anyway, said forecaster Philip Gonsalves.
“We do expect to see a little bit of a rebound in temperatures,” Gonsalves said, “but we’re not expecting temperatures west of the mountains to get out of the 60s.”
