A late-season Pacific storm hit the San Diego area Thursday, bringing with it cooler temperatures, rain, strong winds and the possibility of mountain snow.
The onset of much-needed precipitation in the drought-parched county — the second wet spell to arrive in a week — arrived in the early afternoon.
As of 6 p.m., according to the National Weather Service, the dark clouds had dropped 0.48 of an inch of moisture at Lake Cuyamaca; 0.45 in Pine Hills; 0.44 at Palomar Observatory; 0.4 in Couser Canyon, near Valley Center; 0.36 in Echo Dell; 0.32 on Volcan Mountain; 0.31 at Rainbow Camp; 0.29 at Birch Hill; 0.27 in Bonsall; 0.25 in Harbison Canyon; 0.22 at Sandia Creek; 0.19 at Henshaw Dam; 0.16 in Fallbrook; 0.14 in Kearny Mesa; 0.08 in Encinitas; 0.06 in Ramona; 0.05 in Mission Valley; 0.04 at Lindbergh Field; and 0.01 in Point Loma.
A storm cell dropped 1.5 inches of rain on Lindbergh Field in San Diego between 7:53 p.m. and 8:42 p.m., the National Weather Service tells U-T San Diego. Some residents of flooded apartments in Mission Hills are being evacuated, reports CBS8.
The San Diego Padres game against the Washington Nationals at Petco Park has resumed after a rain delay halted play in the first inning.
The heaviest showers were expected to come down Thursday night and Friday, with some weaker ones possibly lingering into the weekend. Total rainfall amounts are likely to range from 0.75 of an inch to 2 inches of rain across the region, with the higher totals concentrated on the coastal slopes, forecasters said.
Due to the likelihood of intense downpours at times, a flash-flood warning for coastal and valley areas was slated to go into effect at 4 a.m. Friday and continue into the early evening.
The county’s highest-elevation locales may get dustings of snow, the NWS advised.
A wind advisory for the the mountains and deserts was slated to be active until 8 this evening, warning of sustained air currents of 20-30 mph and gusts up to 55 mph. The conditions could cause hazardous driving conditions in some places, especially along Interstate 8 in the East County, according to meteorologists.
— City News Service
