Residents throughout the San Diego area awoke Thursday to plentiful rainfall as the first major storm of autumn moved through Southern California.
The showers, which began as scattered drizzle Wednesday evening and intensified overnight, delivered anywhere from a few hundredths of an inch to more than three inches of moisture across the county, according to the National Weather Service.
The cloudbursts left some local roadways impassible over the day due to flooding, mud flows, fallen tree branches or rock slides. Affected sites included Sorrento Valley Road at Carmel Mountain Road in the Torrey Pines area; Carroll Canyon Road at Pacific Heights Boulevard in Sorrento Valley; Ashwood Street at Willow Road in Lakeside; Oakvale Road at Lake Wohlford Road, east of Escondido; and East Grade Road at state Route 76 in Santa Ysabel.
Over a 24-hour period ending at 4 p.m., the weather service reported, the storm dropped 3.06 inches of rain at Palomar Observatory; 2.93 on Birch Hill; 2.74 at Lake Cuyamaca; 2.23 in Pine Hills; 2.11 in Julian; 2.06 in Mesa Grande; 1.96 in Descanso and at Otay Mountain; 1.83 at Volcan Mountain; 1.68 at Henshaw Dam; 1.53 at Mount Woodson; 1.48 in Santa Ysabel; 1.27 in Alpine; 1.2 in Pine Valley and at Mount Laguna; 1.02 in Fallbrook; and 1.01 at Miramar Lake.
Other rainfall totals included 0.99 inches in Flinn Springs; 0.98 in Escondido and San Diego Country Estates; 0.97 in Barona; 0.91 in Bonsall and San Ysidro; 0,89 in Ramona; 0.88 in Chula Vista, Poway and Valley Center; 0.87 in Dulzura; 0.86 in Encinitas; 0,85 in Campo, Deer Springs and Kearny Mesa; 0.84 in Rancho Bernardo; 0.83 in Couser Canyon, Mission Valley and Santee; 0.78 in Granite Hills and La Jolla; 0.76 in Valley Center; 0.75 at Lake Murray; 0.72 in Del Mar; 0.7 in Scripps Ranch; 0.65 in Point Loma; 0.63 in El Cajon and San Marcos; 0.58 in Mission Beach; 0.56 in Carlsbad; 0.54 in Ranchita; 0.32 in San Felipe; 0.07 in Borrego Palm Canyon; and 0.03 in Agua Caliente.
High surf and strong rip currents prompted the weather service to issue a high-surf advisory that will remain in effect until 8 p.m. Saturday.
Surf levels of 6-10 feet, with sets around 12 feet, were expected to peak Thursday evening through Friday morning with minor coastal flooding possible through Saturday, forecasters said.
The rains will weaken and largely dissipate overnight, though there will be a chance of mostly light showers in the central and southern portions of the county Friday morning, the weather service advised.
A second, weaker storm is expected to bring more rain Saturday afternoon into Sunday morning, followed by warming days and cool nights at the beginning of next week, meteorologists said.
–City News Service