Cold Front Bringing Chance Of Showers To Encinitas

ENCINITAS, CA — Widespread rain, mountain snow, strong winds and cold temperatures are arriving in California Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

The cold front out of the Gulf of Alaska will bring rain and unusually cool temperatures to Southern California along with the first snowfall of the season in mountains at higher elevations. Rain is expected across the Los Angeles region by Tuesday evening, according to the NWS.

The storm, which pushed into the Pacific Northwest early Tuesday, will move southeast, bringing rain to drought-stricken California, the NWS said.

Encinitas will see a 40 percent chance of rain Tuesday evening with overnight lows in the upper 50s, according to the National Weather Service forecast. There is a 40 percent chance of showers Wednesday morning, a 20 percent slight chance of showers Wednesday night, and a 20 percent slight chance of showers and thunderstorms Thursday morning.

In San Diego County, a wind advisory is in effect from 4 p.m. until midnight Tuesday in the county deserts and mountain areas. Southwest winds fro 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 55 mph are expected, according to the NWS.

Southern California mountain communities such as Big Bear can expect a light dusting of snow overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday morning. There is a chance of snow Wednesday night and Thursday for San Diego mountain areas such as Mount Laguna and Palomar Mountain, according to the NWS.

Northern California will experience the heaviest rainfall, with lighter precipitation in the southern part of the state, the NWS said, adding that the rainfall will not make much of a dent in the extreme drought that continues to plague the Golden State.

Heavy snow is expected to develop from west to east through the Cascades of Oregon and southward into the northern and central Sierra of California Tuesday.