The blustery storm that hit San Diego County this week began breaking up Friday and moving out of the region.
The showers are expected to weaken Friday afternoon and become increasingly intermittent before dwindling away entirely in the evening, according to the National Weather Service.
Fair conditions return Saturday and should continue into much of next week, with average or slightly higher maximum temperatures for this time of year, forecasters said.
Before leaving, the unsettled atmospheric system San Diego experienced for most of the week added significantly more rainfall – from five to seven inches in parts of the county – and even some thin blankets of mountain snow.
By 11 a.m. Friday, the local three-day rainfall totals had reached 7.3 inches in the Palomar area, 6.22 on Birch Hill and 5.11 at Lake Cuyamaca.
Mesa Grande, Henshaw Dam and Pine Hills had around 4.5 inches or more, while Julian, Skyline Ranch, Rainbow Camp; Lake Wohlford, Volcan Mountain, Lower Oat Flats, Otay Mountain, Descanso and Las Flores all saw more than three inches of rain.
San Diego communities and suburbs saw varying amounts of rainfall, with the highest numbers coming from inland North and East counties:
- 2.99 inches in Fallbrook and Valley Center
- 2.73 in Escondido
- 2.49 in Poway
- 2.29 in Rancho Bernardo
- 2.04 at Miramar Lake.
- 1.97 in San Marcos
- 1.89 in Santee;
- 1.77 in Kearny Mesa
- 1.71 in Carlsbad and Oceanside
- 1.62 in La Mesa
- 0.76 in National City
Light snowfall fell across the county’s highest elevations, including about an inch at Mount Laguna Lodge and on Palomar Mountain.
The storm – the strongest to arrive in the region since last spring – also whipped up gusts that reached nearly 70 mph in the mountains, almost 50 mph across the inland valleys and just shy of 40 mph along the coast, according to meteorologists.
A wind advisory will remain in effect in the East County highlands until 4 a.m. Saturday, warning of potential for roadway and property hazards due to sustained air currents of 25-35 mph with gusts reaching 55-65 mph.
