SAN DIEGO – The strong winter storm could cause some headaches on the roadway, and also at our airport with wind gusts reaching anywhere from 50 to 60 mph at the San Diego international Airport, tying a record set back in 1988.

Whether taking to the sky or hitting the highway, expect delays, hazardous travel and bumps in the road. A frigid Canadian storm will add setbacks to your morning commute stemming from the coast to the mountains, with high winds set to rapidly increase while peaking early Wednesday morning. Places like Mount Laguna could see 82 mph gusts with 90 mph gusts at some isolated peaks.

“These are going to be the highest gusting winds that we’ve experienced this year, so we want to make sure that the public and specifically the trucking industry as well as any high-profile vehicles are aware of the dangers associated with these winds,” shared Shawn Rizzutto, who is the Chief of Maintenance with Caltrans District 11.

Rockslides and mudslides are also a dangerous possibility in the coming days along our roads. So far, a high wind advisory has been issued for Interstate 8 in Alpine to Imperial Highway along with a restriction for large pickups, SUVs, big rigs, and RVs.

“There are actually four out of four turnover accidents with specifically big rigs and large semis… they are known to topple over,” Rizzutto said.

Meanwhile, the San Diego International Airport is gearing up for the wild weather. Flight crews are clearing debris off runways and securing equipment all to help set up for a safe take off.  

“We just want to make sure that customers are aware that there is going to be a storm and so that’s going to likely bring some delays and some cancelations. The best advice that we could really give is to make sure that you’re communicating with your airline. Check their app, check the websites for any of the last-minute changes that might be happening,” said Sabrina LoPiccolo with the San Diego International Airport.