Rainy weather has returned to San Diego County, with wetter conditions and moderate winds expected to linger all week.
The rain will continue off and on through Saturday in most parts of the county with a brief respite Wednesday, the San Diego office of the National Weather Service said.
As of late Tuesday afternoon, the bands of dark clouds out of the Eastern Pacific had shed anywhere from three-fifths to a few one-hundredths of an inch of rain across the county.
Among the 24-hour readings at 3:45 p.m., according to the NWS, were 0.59 of an inch on Palomar Mountain, 0.51 at Henshaw Dam, 0.44 in Valley Center, 0.33 in Mission Valley, 0.29 in Santee and 0.26 at San Diego International Airport.
The showers were expected to dwindle Tuesday evening and through the day Wednesday.
After the short break, moderate to heavy rainfall is expected to pick back up Wednesday night through Thursday afternoon. The second storm will bring much more moisture, forecasters said.
“For Wednesday through early Friday, rainfall could range from around one inch near the coast to 2 to 3 inches in the mountains with local amounts to around 4 inches for the coastal slopes of the San Bernardino County mountains,” the NWS said.
A flood watch will be in effect from Wednesday evening to at least Thursday afternoon for coastal areas, mountains, valleys and foothills, including the cities of Escondido, Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Vista, Encinitas, Julian, El Cajon, San Marcos, Santee, Oceanside, National City, Poway, and San Diego.
Officials advised people to be prepared to take action should flooding develop.
The city of San Diego on Monday began placing “no parking” signs in low-lying or flood-risk areas, cleaning storm drains and inlets with a history of debris buildup and conducting street sweeping to reduce trash and pollutants from entering waterways.
“We know how impactful heavy rain can be, and we want to ensure that both the city’s stormwater infrastructure and our residents are ready to face the weather,” said Stormwater Department Director Todd Snyder. “We can all take a few simple steps to better prepare for incoming storms and help reduce flood risk.”
Sandbags are also available in limited supply and can be picked up at 11 recreation centers centrally located in each City Council District.
As they have in the past, San Diego County and Cal Fire are providing free bags and sand at multiple fire stations for people who live in unincorporated areas.
AlertSanDiego.org also provides links to cameras so that drivers can check conditions of roads that are susceptible to flooding in real time.
Snow levels will start out around 6,000 to 6,500 feet on Wednesday and should lower to around 3,500 to 4,000 feet by Thursday afternoon, the NWS said.
Cooler temperatures were expected this week, with highs in downtown San Diego dropping to the upper 50s Thursday and Friday. The deserts should see highs in the low 60s to mid-70s, and the mountains can expect daytime temperatures in the 40s through the week.
Wednesday’s San Diego surf forecast includes a moderate-risk rip current, with surf from 2 to 4 feet, sets to 5 feet and mixed swell from 200 and 280 degrees.
“Southwest to west winds with gusts in excess of 20 knots likely Wednesday night into Friday, creating conditions hazardous to small craft,” marine forecasters said. “There is a 60% chance of wind gusts to 34 knots Thursday evening 30-60 nautical miles offshore with decreasing chances the closer you get to land.”
Weather officials predict a few showers may linger into Saturday, with potential for another system sometime early next week.
City News Service contributed to this report.
Updated 6:05 p.m. March 11, 2025
