REGION — Skies were clearing in the San Diego region on Sunday after a North Pacific storm dropped between a third of an inch to a full inch of rain across much of the area.
According to the National Weather Service, rain gauges recorded 0.2 inches of rain in Oceanside, 0.7 inches in La Mesa and as much as 0.9 inches at San Diego International Airport — though that value is a bit of an outlier, NWS forecaster Bruno Rodriguez said. The airport’s seasonal precipitation total is now at 5.45 inches, nearly two inches more than normal.
Mountain locations saw the most rain, with 1.09 inches recorded on Palomar Mountain.
Snow was predicted to be possible in the mountains, but none ultimately materialized. NWS forecaster Dan Gregoria said on Saturday there were some reported traces of snowfall on Palomar Mountain, but it had since turned back into rain. Rodriguez said on Sunday that the NWS gauges did not register any snow.
The rain appeared to have caused trouble on local roadways — there were multiple crashes reported in San Diego County on Sunday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol, and there were at least two fatalities.
The storm also riled up local waters with a large swell, causing high surf at local beaches. Rip currents and hazardous swimming conditions are possible, according to the NWS. Those conditions are expected to last through 2 a.m. Monday, when the surf should drop quickly.
Dry, cool weather in the 60s and 70s is expected through Wednesday, when a follow-up storm could generate some modest showers into Thursday morning — although that storm appears less likely than it did earlier in the weekend, according to Rodriguez. There will be a better chance of rain heading into next weekend, he said.
