SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The second late-winter storm to chill and drench the San Diego area this week delivered widespread and intense rainfall Thursday along with more mountain snowfall.
The unsettled atmospheric system out of the Gulf of Alaska generated heavier downpours than its immediate predecessor, at times dropping more than a half-inch of moisture an hour in some parts of the county, according to the National Weather Service.
The East County highlands received modest amounts of snowfall over the morning down to about the 4,000-foot level, meteorologists reported. Some spots at the highest local elevations, those around 6,000 feet above sea level, got as much as six inches of frozen white flakes.
The cloudbursts led to scattered roadway flooding over the morning Thursday, according to the California Highway Patrol. The deluged locations included Grade Road at Saint Georges Lane in Valley Center, on the Bonita Road off-ramp from northbound Interstate 805 in Bonita, on northbound I-805 at Main Street in Chula Vista, on the El Camino Real on-ramp to state Route 78 in Oceanside and on northbound I-5 at Pacific Highway in San Diego, the CHP reported.
An NWS flood watch was in effect for local coastal areas, mountains, valleys and foothills, including Carlsbad, Chula Vista, El Cajon, Encinitas, Escondido, Julian, National City, Oceanside, Poway, San Diego, San Marcos, Santee and Vista.
Sandbags were available in limited amounts to the public at 11 recreation centers centrally located in each San Diego City Council district. The county and Cal Fire, for their part, were providing free bags and sand at numerous fire stations for residents of unincorporated areas.
As of 10 a.m. Thursday, according to the weather service, the 24-hour multi-storm precipitation totals reached 1.7 inches in Pine Hills; 1.66 at Henshaw Dam; 1.47 in Mesa Grande; 1.43 in Descanso; 1.27 in Echo Dell and Skyline Ranch; 1.26 on Mount Woodson and in Oak Grove; 1.25 in Santa Ysabel; 1.23 in Thousand Trails; 1.21 at Ramona Airport; 1.14 in La Mesa; 1.12 in National City and at Palomar Observatory; 1.11 in Bonsall; 1.1 in Escondido; 1.09 at Miramar Lake; 1.07 in San Onofre; 1.05 in Alpine and Valley Center; 1.04 on Birch Hill and in Valley Center; 1.02 in Harbison Canyon; 1.01 in Fallbrook; and 1.00 in Kearny Mesa and Vista.
Other moisture tallies over the period included 0.98 of an inch in Julian and Poway; 0.97 in Chula Vista and at Lake Cuyamaca; 0.96 at Brown Field Municipal Airport; 0.95 in Barona, Fallbrook, Granite Hills and Rincon Springs; 0.94 in Carlsbad; 0.91 in Pine Valley; 0.9 at Lake Wohlford; 0.89 in Rancho Bernardo; 0.83 in Carlsbad; 0.79 in Warner Springs; 0.78 in Mission Valley; 0.77 in Oceanside; 0.72 in San Marcos; 0.66 at San Diego International Airport; 0.65 on Volcan Mountain; 0.52 in Couser Canyon; 0.51 at Naval Air Station North Island; 0.5 in Point Loma; 0.46 in Campo and Ranchita; 0.34 on Mount Laguna; 0.32 in San Felipe; 0.27 in Agua Caliente; 0.23 in Encinitas; 0.07 in Ocotillo Wells; and 0.03 in Borrego Springs.
A wind advisory was in effect until at least 11 p.m. Thursday for county deserts, along with a small-craft advisory through early Friday for coastal waters from San Mateo Point to the Mexican border and out to 30 nautical miles from San Mateo Point to the Mexican border, including San Clemente Island.
Friday's San Diego-area surf forecast includes a high-risk rip current, with surf from 4 to 6 feet, sets to 7 feet and swell from 280 degrees.
Marine forecasters said westerly winds will approach gale force late Thursday, creating hazardous boating conditions into early Friday. Over the same period, the local snow level likely will drop to nearly 2,500 feet, according to forecasters.
Gradually clearing skies with a possibility of scattered light showers should prevail over the weekend, followed by a chance of more wet weather across the county early next workweek, according to forecasters.
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