A third cold front in less than a week arrived in Santee Thursday, bringing afternoon showers, a chance of thunderstorms and gusty southwest winds to the East County community, according to the National Weather Service San Diego.

The cold front is tracking from northwest to southeast through the region. The National Weather Service is forecasting a 90 percent chance of precipitation for Santee this afternoon and evening, with the frontal band expected to clear San Diego County by approximately 10 p.m. A Wind Advisory for San Diego County valleys — including Santee — remains in effect through 2 a.m. Friday. Southwest winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts of 30 to 40 mph are expected, with forecasters cautioning that gusty winds could blow down tree limbs, cause power outages and make driving difficult for high-profile vehicles.

Rainfall totals for Santee and other coastal and valley areas are expected to range from roughly a quarter to a half inch, with higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Thunderstorms are possible after 4 p.m. Thursday. High temperatures Thursday are not expected to reach 60 degrees. Overnight lows will drop to around 40 degrees, and Santee could see patchy frost early Friday morning as skies clear and cold air settles into the inland valleys.

San Diego County mountain areas are under a separate Winter Weather Advisory through 9 a.m. Friday, with snow levels expected to drop to around 4,500 feet. A High Surf Advisory is also in effect for San Diego County beaches through Friday evening, with wave heights of 5 to 8 feet and sets as high as 9 feet. Forecasters also cautioned that periods of heavy rain could produce minor localized flooding.

After the system clears overnight Thursday, a stretch of dry and warming weather is expected. The National Weather Service is forecasting mostly sunny skies Friday, with temperatures climbing into the upper 60s Saturday and the low 70s Sunday. Dry conditions are expected to persist through much of next week, according to the NWS San Diego forecast.