Updated at 6:40 p.m. Jan. 23, 2017
The final installment in a back-to-back series of strong winter storms unleashed still more rain and mountain snow Monday on the already saturated San Diego area.
Continuing a three-week succession of unsettled atmospheric conditions that has made for an unusually wet January, the blustery weather system let loose with more showers through the morning and early afternoon before beginning to dissipate and move out of the region.
As was the case in recent days, the deluge forced flooding- and debris- related closures of various streets, including stretches of Avenida del Rio, Camino de la Reina and Fashion Valley Road in Mission Valley; Carroll Canyon Road in Sorrento Valley; Hunter Street in Ramona; La Media Road in Otay Mesa; Niagara Avenue in Ocean Beach; San Diego Mission Road in Grantville; and Saturn Boulevard in Palm City.
The cloudbursts set one rainfall record for the date — in Campo, where 2.72 inches fell, exceeding the prior Jan. 23 milestone of 1.18 inches, set in 1967, meteorologists reported.
Over the 24-hour period ending at 5 p.m., according to the National Weather Service, the dark bands of clouds dropped 3.68 inches of moisture in Julian and at Lake Cuyamaca; 3.6 in Pine Hills; 3.58 at Palomar Observatory; 3.45 at Henshaw Dam; 3.29 in Descanso; 3.24 on Birch Hill; 3.02 at Mount Woodson; 2.85 in Oak Grove; 2.84 in Mesa Grande; 2.69 on Volcan Mountain; 2.63 on Mount Laguna; 2.51 in Pine Valley; 2.41 in Santa Ysabel; 2.16 in Skyline Ranch; 2.09 in Echo Dell; and 2.08 in Warner Springs.
Other precipitation tallies included 1.98 inches in Rincon Springs; 1.97 at Rainbow Camp; 1.82 at Lake Wohlford; 1.75 in Tierra del Sol; 1.73 on Otay Mountain; 1.65 in Barona and Valley Center; 1.64 in Harbison Canyon; 1.6 in Ramona; 1.56 in Goose Valley; 1.51 in Poway; 1.5 in Thousand Trails; 1.34 in San Felipe; 1.19 in Fallbrook; 1.13 in Granite Hills; 1.08 at Miramar Lake; 1.07 in Rancho Bernardo; 0.93 in La Mesa; 0.87 in Oceanside; 0.84 in Point Loma; 0.83 in San Ysidro; 0.81 at Brown Field airport; 0.75 in Santee; 0.69 in Mission Valley; 0.6 at Montgomery Field; 0.51 in Borrego Springs; 0.46 in Agua Caliente; 0.43 in Encinitas; 0.42 at Lindbergh Field; 0.4 in Carlsbad; 0.39 in San Onofre; and 0.25 in Ocotillo Wells.
In the mountains, an additional 1 to 2 inches of snow was expected to accumulate at elevations of 4,000 to 5,000 feet, 2 to 4 inches between 5,000 and 6,000 feet, 4 to 10 inches from 6,000 to 7,000 feet and 10 inches or more atop the highest peaks, forecasters said.
A winter storm warning for the mountains was set to expire in the early evening, though intermittent snow showers likely will continue tonight and into Tuesday.
A flash-flood watch for the entire county prompted by brief but heavy rainfall and isolated thunderstorms will also expire tonight, as will a wind advisory for the deserts.
A high-surf warning prompted by waves of 5 to 10 feet and sets to 13 feet south of Carlsbad will remain in effect until 10 p.m. Tuesday.
The showers are expected to gradually decrease overnight and Tuesday, and increasing high pressure will bring drier, warmer weather beginning Wednesday and continuing through the weekend, according to meteorologists.
— City News Service
