Naturopathic Doctor in Mount Laguna, CA

We love our hiking trails in Southern California! Whether you love to explore lakes, picturesque meadows, or winding paths tucked inside an enchanted forest, this beautiful hike in SoCal offers a little something for everyone. Take a look at one of our favorite places on earth hiding right here in SoCal.

Big Laguna Trail is a spellbinding hike set inside the Cleveland National Forest that will take you through a variety of scenery including wide open meadows and a peaceful lake.

Big Laguna Trail can be easily accessed from Mount Laguna Campground which is located at 10678 Sunrise Hwy in Mount Laguna, CA. Or you can also access the trail directly from Penny Pines trailhead which is located to the north of the campground right off Sunrise Highway.

The Big Laguna Trail is a long but easy loop that totals close to 14 miles. You can adjust the distance of your hike to your choosing; complete the entire loop if you desire or simply stop and head back toward the trailhead at any time if a 14-mile hike is longer than you desire to be out on the trail.

You'll find storybook trails that weave through towering trees in a setting that will remind you of an enchanted forest.

You'll also be treated to the peace and quiet of a wide open meadow as you stroll along the trail.

Mixed in between the trees and open meadows you'll find nothing but blue skies overhead. On a clear day it's a picture-perfect view in every direction.

Throughout Big Laguna Trail you'll encounter rugged and rustic details that are quite unexpected...like this foot bridge tucked inside the meadow.

And last but not least, you'll encounter the beauty of Laguna Lake on this picturesque hike. Water levels can fluctuate depending on the season, but no matter what time of year you're here, it's always a peaceful place to be out in nature.

Now this is one trail that is hard to resist! Have you ever hiked Big Laguna Trail? If you'd like to check out more hikes in Southern California, you may also enjoy these 12 trails in SoCal that offer some of the best hikes on earth.

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — While Southern California was not initially forecast to get much of a view of Friday’s northern lights display, a few lucky residents of San Diego’s mountain communities did end up getting a glimpse of the spectacle.

The rare aurora borealis event lit up parts of the nighttime sky with gorgeous colors — from pinks and purples to greens and yellows — in places away from coastal cloud cover, like Mount Laguna, Julian and along the inland segments of Interstate 8.

Those who were able to spot it snapped a few pictures of the lights, enhancing the colors that were seen in the sky. National Weather Service – San Diego confirmed their authenticity to FOX 5/KUSI Saturday afternoon.

The display was brought on by the strongest solar storm to hit the Earth since 2005, dazzling spectators while sowing fears among power operators of possible electrical current interruptions. In San Diego, no interference with the power grid was reported.

Views of the northern lights from around the US

Images of the northern lights seen on Friday from San Diego County can be found below.

Areas unencumbered by coastal clouds may get a view of the northern lights again on Saturday, as the aurora forecast remains at a heightened level. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has a G4 “severe” warning for the geomagnetic storm in place.

However, it NOAA says it still could again be raised to a G5 “extreme” impact during the overnight hours, as it was for last night’s display.

The Space Weather Prediction Center says the auroras could even continue into Sunday or early next week, depending on when the active sunspot cluster that drives the activity rotates away from the Earth — movement that could take days.

In San Diego, NWS said the northern lights should be strong enough to see with the naked eye Saturday, but it could be more faint than in other parts of the U.S.

The best bet to view the northern lights in the county would be to head out to the mountains or inland areas between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. For San Diegans that do make the trek out there, meteorologists suggest using a camera or a newer smartphone to enhance the color of the lights.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.

Northern lights, also called aurora borealis, brought gorgeous hues of purple and magenta seen from the San Diego County mountains overnight.

A strangely strong solar storm is hitting Earth, creating northern lights in the U.S. this weekend and could possibly disrupt power and communications, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NOAA issued a rare severe geomagnetic storm warning after a solar outburst reached Earth on Friday afternoon, hours before originally anticipated. The effects are expected to last through the weekend and maybe even into next week, NOAA said.

NOAA has alerted power plant operators, spacecraft in orbit and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to take safety measures.

Northern lights are usually not visible in San Diego County, making them a very rare occurrence here. Aurora borealis are usually only seen in the Polar Regions, close to the north and south poles of the Earth, according to NOAA.

NOAA's planetary K-index measures the magnitude of geomagnetic storms. On a scale of 0-9, disturbances in Earth's magnetic field have reached a 9 from Friday night going into Saturday evening, according to NOAA.

The National Weather Service of San Diego told NBC 7 that Saturday night will be the last good night to catch the lights. However, due to a change in the forecast, Sunday night may be similar to Friday night, according to an expert with NOAA.

San Diego Unified School District Sep 17

Julian 29 mins ago

Viewers sent in photos to NBC 7 of the northern lights they saw from Mount Laguna and other San Diego mountains.

Have your own photos? Submit them here!

NBC 7 meteorologist Brooke Martell spoke with Mike Bettwy, operations chief of space weather prediction center, about the northern lights. Some of his responses are below:

Why are some able to see the northern lights so far south?

"It was a very intense storm. We were seeing way more particles and energy from the sun hitting our atmosphere than we normally see," Bettwy said. "The stronger it is, the more likely it is that you'll see not only farther south but you'll also see it for longer durations, for longer periods of time, and the colors also can be more vibrant when we have a very intense storm."

How rare is this event?

"It is quite rare," Bettwy said. "The last time we probably saw the same level of widespread activity that was so vibrant was with the Halloween solar storms of 2003, so it's been over 20 years. That's generally how this goes to have it be this vibrant, and especially for this duration for the last few days. You're normally only going to see that every couple of decades."

What makes the colors so colorful?

"The difference in the colors is driven by the different particles. So when you have electrons or protons, and when they interact with nitrogen or oxygen in the atmosphere, it results in a different color," Bettwy explained. "If some of the particles are interacting with the nitrogen, you get deeper reds. But if it's more with oxygen, you're going to get the yellows and the oranges, and some of the darker colors as well, like the greens and blues that are occasionally seen."

Will there be another chance to see the northern lights?

Bettwy says Sunday night may be another good chance to see the northern lights.

"The reason for that is because we had another what we call coronal mass ejection. We had a huge plasma burst coming off the sun early [Saturday] morning and late [Friday] night, and that's going to arrive in the Earth's atmosphere late [Sunday] and into [Sunday] night.

Where is the best place to see the northern lights?

"You will see quite a big difference even if you get just a slight distance out of downtown, inner city areas," Bettwy said. "The biggest tip for people is to get out of the downtown area if you can because the viewing will be much better in those areas."

What are the adverse effects?

"Associated with these storms, sometimes you can get high amounts of radiation that can come towards the Earth and even out into outer space," Bettwy said. "It can be a concern for astronauts in like the ISS, the International Space Station. They have to take cover if there's going to be a high amount of radiation. Fortunately, it hasn't been extremely high with this event, but they have taken some cover due to the increased radiation exposure."

Bettwy says the biggest concern is usually related to GPS signals and power supply issues.

"There are, you know, occasional glitches with like the GPS signal," Bettwy said. "Let's say you're using Google Maps to drive from point A to point B. In these types of events, you'll actually see that those services are a little less accurate. For instance, they'll tell you to turn left like 50 to 75 feet before they really should because the precision is just not quite what it normally is."

But there have been minor impacts this time around so far, he said.

"Fortunately, with this event, we knew that it was coming, so we worked closely with some of the grid operators across North America. The North America Electric Reliability Corporation, they're one of our partners, and they were given advanced notice, and they've taken the appropriate precautions and mitigations to prevent there being any widespread power disruptions," Bettwy said.

Heavy, wet snow is expected in mountain areas of San Diego County Thursday, and travel could be difficult to impossible with up to 14 inches of snow and wind gusts up to 60 mph on the highest peaks.

A winter storm warning is in effect until noon Thursday, with between 6 to 10 inches of snow expected at elevations above 4,000 feet and 10 to 14 inches at the highest peaks, according to the National Weather Service.

The persistent winter storm brought heavy rain to the San Diego area Wednesday for a fourth straight day, further drenching the already soaked region with more steady downpours and topping its mountains with drifts of snow.

Gov. Gavin Newsom requested an official disaster declaration from President Joe Biden on Wednesday to help a recovering San Diego.

“The late January storm saw record-breaking rain in San Diego, where the worst impacts were felt in lower-income neighborhoods,” Newsom said. “Many folks saw damage to their life’s work that can’t be recovered without federal support.

“I’m requesting a Major Disaster Declaration from President Biden to support communities in San Diego that were hit hard last month,” he said.

If approved, the disaster declaration will help people in the impacted counties through eligibility for programs and support that can include housing assistance, vehicle replacement, food aid, counseling, medical services and legal services, a statement from the governor’s office read.

As of late Wednesday morning, the unsettled atmospheric system had dropped anywhere from a few tenths of an inch to more than 7 1/2 inches of rain across the county and delivered in excess of six inches of frozen white flakes across its eastern highlands, according to the National Weather Service.

Due to icy roadway conditions in upper-elevation areas, the county Department of Public Works announced that motorists must use tire chains and/or snow tires in some frigid locales, including Mount Laguna and Palomar Mountain, and on stretches of Montezuma Valley and San Felipe roads.

Details on the requirements are available online.

Because of inclement weather and icy road conditions, some schools will be closed Thursday, the San Diego County Office of Education said.

Schools in the following districts will be closed:

The storm has broken weather records in Alpine and Ramona, meteorologists said. A total of 1.32 inches of rain fell in the latter community on Tuesday, exceeding the previous milestone reading of 0.92 inches, set in 1998. Also, the low maximum temperature of in Alpine on Tuesday, 49 degrees, nudging aside the old record of 50 degrees, set in 2019, the NWS reported.

Late Tuesday morning, sightings of spiraling clouds in the sky heading northeast over Chula Vista prompted the weather service to issue a tornado warning — a local rarity — for parts of the South Bay and East County. As of 12:45 p.m., when the advisory expired, there were no reports of any twisters touching ground, according to the federal agency.

Among the rainfall totals from the storm by shortly before 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to the NWS, were 7.59 inches in San Onofre; 6.11 at Camp Pendleton; 4.42 in Fallbrook; 4.0 in Bonsall; 3.84 at Lake Wohlford; 3.77 in Mesa Grande; 3.72 in Oceanside; 3.68 in Skyline Ranch; 3.66 in Deer Springs; 3.47 at Rainbow Camp; 3.28 at Henshaw Dam; 3.27 in Carlsbad; 3.24 in Valley Center; 3.2 in Couser Canyon; 3.16 on Mount Woodson; and 3.05 in Santa Ysabel.

The latest tallies also included 2.97 inches in National City; 2.92 at Lake Cuyamaca; 2.89 in Escondido; 2.88 in Santee; 2.83 in Vista; 2.75 at Miramar Lake; 2.74 in Ramona; 2.73 in San Diego Country Estates; 2.71 in Alpine; 2.67 in La Mesa; 2.66 in Barona; 2.61 in Granite Hills, Harbison Canyon and Poway; 2.49 in San Marcos; 2.47 in Kearny Mesa; 2.45 in Encinitas; 2.4 in Flinn Springs and on Otay Mountain; 2.39 at San Diego International Airport; 2.36 at Montgomery Field; 2.34 in Campo; 2.29 in Point Loma; 2.28 at Brown Field; 2.27 in Pine Valley; 2.23 at Naval Air Station North Island; 2.2 in Mission Valley; and 2.13 in Rancho Bernardo.

Other four-day rainfall amounts were 1.94 inches at Dulzura Summit; 1.83 in Tierra Del Sol; 1.8 in Oak Grove; 1.75 in Warner Springs; 1.31 in Ranchita; 1.03 on Volcan Mountain; 0.59 in Ocotillo Wells; 0.35 in Borrego Springs; and 0.17 in Agua Caliente.

Local snowfall measurements included 6 to 8 inches on Mount Laguna; 6 inches on Birch Hill and Palomar Mountain; 3 inches in Julian and Pine Hills; 3 inches in Descanso; and 2 inches in Wynola.

Last weekend, Newsom declared a state of emergency in Southern California due to the predicted severity of the storm, which has proved to be significantly more intense in areas north of San Diego County. The proclamation included provisions authorizing a California National Guard response if needed, facilitating unemployment benefits for impacted residents and making it easier for out-of-state contractors and utilities to repair weather-related damage.

Forecasters have warned that the unsettled weather pattern could generate strong winds — from 15 to 25 mph and gusts up to 35 mph in some places — that might blow away unsecured outdoor objects, snap off tree limbs and cause power outages.

San Diego Gas & Electric prepared for the storm by increasing the number of field crews and equipment available “to restore power as quickly and safely as possible should power outages occur,” the utility company advised.

San Diego County emergency-services and public-works officials offered the public the following storm-safety tips:

— Avoid driving through deep water;

— Avoid oversteering or stomping on the brakes if you start to hydroplane or skid;

— Avoid texting or using a hand-held cell phone when driving;

— Slow down to avoid getting into an accident;

— Turn on your headlights to see better;

— Try to drive toward the middle lanes as water tends to gather in outside lanes;

— Defog your windows for better visibility;

— Never drive through a flooded roadway;

— Give the cars in front of you extra distance; and

— Watch out for public works crews and equipment.

Due to potential harsh weather conditions, an emergency shelter at 2111 Pan American Plaza is open to the public and can be reached at 619-525- 8262. Services at the shelter will include places for displaced people to stay, meals, snacks, crisis counseling, help replacing medication and pet support from the San Diego Humane Society.

Alert San Diego has provided residents with all other information regarding flooding and can be found at the following links:

— Flood preparation information, www.alertsandiego.org/en- us/preparedness.html;

— Emergency information, www.alertsandiego.org/en-us.html; and

— Recovery information including cleanup, medicine and additional helpful resources, www.alertsandiego.org/en-us.html.

Residents can also text HELP to 98266 to get safety information.

The United Taxi Workers of San Diego is helping impacted residents get to the temporary shelter at no charge. To schedule a ride customers can call 619-280-4444 or use the “Ride United” passenger application. Residents seeking services should provide a pick-up location and select “Balboa Park Municipal Gym” or “Mountain View Community Recreation Center” as their drop- off location, county officials said.

A temporary homeless shelter has been set up at the Balboa Park Activity Center at 16th Street and Newton Bridge Shelter.

The Department of Public Works is picking up flood-damaged debris and items from homes in the unincorporated communities. Pickup in unincorporated areas can be reached at 858-495-5700. Additional storm recovery resources can be reached by dialing 211.

The county advised against putting debris near curbs during rainy weather, where it can wash away and cause a hazard.

This week’s storm comes after a spate of historically heavy downpours that left roadways, commercial districts and residential neighborhoods underwater across the region two weeks ago. The wettest day, Jan. 22, delivered the highest 24-hour rainfall amounts in San Diego since 1850, according to the NWS.

The inundation, which washed away many a parked car and heavily damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes, prompted the city and county of San Diego, along with Newsom, to declare states of emergency.

Since then, authorities have been taking steps, including monitoring tens of thousands of storm drains, to prevent more storm-driven destruction, Mayor Todd Gloria said during a recent news briefing. He urged those who live or work in flood-prone areas to remain proactively vigilant as well.

The city and the San Diego Housing Commission have opened a new 50-room shelter at a former hotel site in the Midway district to provide a refuge from those impact the recent storms.

Another round of more widespread downpours hit early Thursday, with more intermittent and milder rain expected through Friday and possibly into the weekend, according to meteorologists.

A period of dry weather and slowly warming temperatures is expected to kick in Sunday in greater San Diego, forecasters said.

– City News Service

Updated 2:55 p.m. Feb. 8, 2024

Tagged: Feb 2024, San Diego, shelters, storm, weather

The winter storm, along with bringing days of heavy rain across San Diego, has also brought several inches of snow to our mountains.

The mountains got anywhere from a trace of snow to about a half-foot, according to the NWS. Mount Laguna and Palomar Mountain saw 6-8 inches with another foot of snow possible overnight into Thursday.

The snow level will fall to 3,000 to 3,500 feet early Thursday morning, rise to 4,000 to 4,500 feet this afternoon, fall to 3500 to 4000 feet late tonight, then rise to around 5,000 feet Friday.

For the mountains, there will be another 4 to 8 inches from 4,500 to 6,500 feet, and 8 to 12 inches above 6,500 feet, the NWS said.

Snowfall levels fell to 4,000 feet elevation Tuesday night and another round of snow was expected overnight Thursday, the National Weather Service said.

As another round of snow blankets San Diego County mountains, NBC 7's Shellye Leggett breaks down what that has meant for foot traffic at businesses in the Julian area.

A winter storm warning remains in effect until noon Thursday for our mountains above 4,000 feet.

The snow created icy roads and prompted some mountain communities to cancel classes for students on Thursday.

The closures include:

The snowfall has also given some sixth graders away at camp an unusual treat at the Cuyamaca Outdoor School. More than 400 students from Barnett Elementary School, Hawking STEAM Charter School, Vista Del Mar Elementary School, Vista Del Mar Elementary School and Design 39 Campus are enjoying a snow day.

The campers will be able to make some snowballs and snow angels as the camp educators have adapted their schedule to include snow into their curriculum, according to the San Diego County Office of Education.

Late Tuesday, hail fell down in certain parts of the county. People who live in the South Bay including National City and Chula Vista.

Check for snow chain requirements

Sunrise Highway was closed from SR-79 to the 27.5-mile post marker on early Wednesday due to heavy snow. Chain control is at level 1 for Sunrise Highway from Old HWY 80 to milepost 27.5.

Caltrans San Diego advises those who wish to visit the snow, to visit their website for the most up-to-date information on chain requirements and snow plows.

Check the snow camera at Laguna Mountain Lodge and Julian

Before you head up to the mountains, you can check out the snow conditions from the Laguna Mountian Lodge camera.

You can also check out snow conditions in Julian by checking out their webcam.

Wondering where to catch snow in San Diego? We have a full list of locations around the county below: