Overnight, snow levels came crashing down to nearly 3,500 feet! Pine Valley sits at about 3,800 feet and some of our 10News weather watches submitted clips of snow falling and sticking in their backyards within that neighborhood. Several school districts in surrounding communities also canceled classes because of inclement weather.
As rain transitioned to heavier snow, NWS issued A Winter Storm Warning for the mountains. We'll likely get up 6 inches of snow near 4,000 feet, up to 10 inches above 5,000 feet and close to 2 feet of snow above 6,000 feet. As residual moisture allows for more snow to continue falling through Friday, blizzard-like are expected, especially this evening when winds pick up, gusting near 60mph. It's best to avoid travel along the passes and mountains due to the wintry conditions but if you have to drive, use chains where required and keep them on hand just in case. If you're visiting the mountains, only pull over in designated parking spots and never leave your trash behind.
Closer to the coast and valleys, we'll continue to see periods of heavy showers and thunderstorms with a Flood Watch remaining in place for the entire county through 6AM Thursday. A Flood Warning is in place for Fashion Valley and the surrounding area through Thursday afternoon due to flooding and the San Diego river above flood stage. The warning will likely remain in effect until the water recedes, which may not happen until Friday.
Daytime highs and overnight lows will remain chilly through the rest of the week with temperatures nearly 20 degrees below seasonal!
We'll have a brief break from the heavy rain this afternoon with pockets of sunshine before a secondary wave rolls in tonight bringing us more showers through Friday, with peak activity aiming overnight into Thursday morning. We could see an additional half an inch to 2 inches of rainfall for the coast and valleys.
Meanwhile, as onshore flow strengthens, so will the surf across our beaches. A Beach Hazards Statement is in effect for the coast through Thursday night with sets up to 10 feet and strong rip currents. We'll also have a minor threat for low-lying flooding and coastal erosion.
There is light at the end of the tunnel. Just in time for Super Bowl weekend, we'll slowly start to dry out with mostly sunny conditions with mild temperatures by Sunday.
Wednesday's Highs:
Coast: 56-58
Valleys: 45-55
Mountains: 39-47
Deserts: 59-63
For the latest news, weather and traffic updates, follow Vanessa Paz on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
