We continue tracking the rapidly intensified hurricane Hilary as it inches towards Baja California.
As of 4P Friday, Hilary was at a Cat4 status with winds of 140 mph, moving WNW. It will weaken to a Cat3 as in inches closer to the tip of Baja, and by Saturday afternoon, San Diego County will start to see some of the outer bands in the form of heavy rain for the mountains and deserts. Meanwhile, clouds will increase for the coastal and inland areas, squeezing out a light shower. Activity will intensify and become widespread Saturday night, with heavy rain early Sunday through Monday afternoon. Heavy rain will taper off by Monday afternoon, but we'll continue to see light shower activity as Hilary travels north toward Nevada.
Some models show the system veering towards the west towards Santa Barbara, decreasing the amount of rain we expect. Meanwhile, some models show the system turning towards Imperial County, which would mean less rain for the coastal and inland communities.
A flood watch has been issued for the entire county starting tomorrow. With so much rain in a short time, flash flooding in low-lying areas will be a concern. We could also see land and mudslides along some mountain and desert terrain due to heavy rain.
Gusty winds will also be a threat. Isolated gusts along the mountains, valleys, and coastline could exceed 70mph. Strong winds could cause downed power lines and trees. It would help if you avoided travel this weekend, especially Sunday, due to hazardous road conditions.
High surf and strong rip currents will also be an issue for beachgoers. There are no beach advisories right now, but that will likely change as we inch closer to the system's arrival.
Please keep up with ABC10News Pinpoint Weather team as we continue to track Hurricane Hilary.
Saturday's Highs:
Coast: 72-81
Inland: 80-87
Mountains: 77-83
Deserts: 87-93
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