Hurricane Blanca Update: Now A Tropical Storm, System Moves Toward Baja California Resorts

Hurricane Blanca weakened to a tropical storm Sunday as the system moved toward the Baja California Peninsula. As of 5 p.m. PDT, Tropical Storm Blanca was progressing north-northwest at 10 mph and was producing maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, the National Weather Service reported.

Most of the famous Los Cabos resorts had essentially shut down by Sunday, closing their pools and tying down furniture. They distributed meals to guests and stopped restaurant and bar service, the Associated Press reported, likely remembering last year's Hurricane Odile, which caused about $1.22 billion in damage to the Baja peninsula.

Thousands of army troops, marines and emergency responders were on alert as the storm approached. Police checked all hotels had at least 15 days' worth of food just in case.

But some guests weren't concerned. "People here are excited to ride it out, taking a lot of selfies," film writer James Kicklighter told AP.

Although there were no evacuations in Los Cabos, Mexico put out a tropical storm warning from Puerto San Andresito to Punta Abreojos, CNN reported. Before its downgrades, Blanca had reached Category 4 status, with maximum sustained winds reaching 110 mph.

"We know there will be rain and wind, but that's it," hotel operator Fernando Roldan told NBC News.

The eye of the storm was expected to make landfall Monday, weakening the storm further to a tropical cyclone. It was due to collapse into thunderstorms that would remain in San Diego and other parts of Southern California through Wednesday.

Hurricane season for the Eastern Pacific started May 15 and runs through Nov. 30. Blanca was the only named active storm as of Sunday night, but there was a 60 percent chance a tropical cyclone south of the Gulf of Tehuantepec would form in the next five days.