Heavy rain is soaking the county, leading to ponding and flooding in low-lying areas. The rainfall is excellent, especially since we're in a water-year deficit. Still, the problem is that peak activity is happening in the middle of morning rush hour, leading to dangerous travel for drivers.
A Flood Watch for the coast and valleys has upgraded to a Flood Advisory through 9:30 a.m. Monday. Meanwhile, the mountains and deserts will be under a flood watch starting at 9 a.m. and ending at 9 p.m. on Monday. We're already seeing multiple reports of ponding across our major freeways and surface streets from the coast to mountain communities.
So far, about a quarter inch of rain has fallen, and we're expecting an additional inch or so, with more significant local amounts near two to three inches, as the rain intensifies. We also have the chance for pop-up thunderstorms this afternoon, which would lead to periods of gusty winds and downpours.
Heavy rain bands will transition to light scattered showers towards noon, becoming on and off through Tuesday morning.
As of 7:45 a.m. Monday, here are some of the rainfall totals reported at local stations:
Fallbrook: 2.11"
Otay Mountain: 1.47"
Alpine: 0.68"
Fashion Valley: 1.05"
Encinitas: 1.39"
Carlsbad: 1.74"
Chula Vista: 0.53"
We're also tracking periods of strong south and southeasterly winds across the mountains and valleys, with peak gusts up to 40mph.
Clouds will continue to linger through Tuesday morning, and then we'll have partial clearing with partly sunny skies in the afternoon. High pressure will slowly redevelop with better clearing on Thursday and a minor warm-up towards the weekend.
Monday's Highs:
Coast: 59-62°
Inland: 54-61°
Mountains: 48-53°
Deserts: 59-61°
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