Extreme heat coming to San Diego County’s backcountry and deserts this week

Extreme heat will settle over San Diego County’s inland foothills, mountains and desert areas this week, leading the National Weather Service to urge people to reschedule strenuous activities for the early morning and evening.

The most intense heat will occur Wednesday through Friday, when temperatures will rise into the mid-90s in such communities as Ramona and Escondido, 99 to 100 in Campo near the U.S.-Mexico border and into the 113-to-115 range in Borrego Springs.

The heat will be produced by a high pressure system out of New Mexico that isn’t expected to surge all the way to the coast, where temperatures have been 1 to 2 degrees cooler than normal for most of the summer.

The coast also remains very dry. Only 4.56 inches of rain have been recorded in San Diego since the rainy season began last Oct. 1, the weather service said. The historic average over the same period of time is 9.66 inches.

There will be elevated wildfire conditions in all areas east of Interstate 15, according to San Diego Gas & Electric, which maintains a fire risk monitor for the entire county.