Weather Watch: The Start of the Week May Be a Wet One

A cold storm is set to move into the region late Sunday, and should bring colder temperatures, gusty wind, rain and snow to some areas Monday, the National Weather Service forecast Saturday.

The incoming system is expected to bring a limited amount of rain, mostly west of the mountains, along with low temperatures, according to the NWS.

The storm may bring 2 to 5 inches of snow Monday to mountain areas at altitudes as low as 3,000 feet, such as Pine Valley, Julian and Laguna Mountain, according to the NWS. Forecasters hedged their bets, but said accumulations of between 8 and 12 inches were possible by Monday night.

Strong and potentially damaging winds are expected in deserts and mountain areas as well, the NWS said. Gusts of up to 75 miles per hour could be possible over mountain ridges through Monday night.

Travel through mountain passes could become dangerous as wind speeds increase, temperatures fall below freezing and roads become slippery, the NWS said. Visibility could be occasionally reduced to near zero in falling and blowing snow, the NWS said.

The NWS forecast for Poway:

Tonight: Patchy fog after 10pm. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 45. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Sunday: Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 66. Calm wind becoming west between 5 and 10 mph.

Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers after 10pm. Cloudy, with a low around 47. South wind between 10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Monday: Showers, mainly before 4pm. High near 54. West wind between 15 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.

Monday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly before 10pm. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 39. West wind between 15 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

-City News Service