The latest in a spite of early spring storms doused the San Diego area with mild showers early today before moving off and giving the region a welcome -- if short-lived -- respite from blustery conditions.
The round of wintry cloudbursts, which began late Wednesday afternoon, petered out several hours before sunrise, largely sparing motorists from another rain-marred morning commute.
Precipitation totals in coastal and valley communities ranged from 0.14 of an inch in Miramar to 0.35 at Lindbergh Field and 0.49 in Chula Vista, according to the National Weather Service.
In the East County highlands, the tallies varied from just over a third of an inch of moisture in Ramona to a half-inch in Descanso, the NWS reported. There were no reports of additional mountain snow.
In the deserts, the only rainfall total available was 0.15, in the San Felipe area.
The showers, though milder than those that struck Sunday evening, left at least one roadway impassible. Late Wednesday night, Carmel Mountain Road became inundated with about 18 inches of floodwater at Interstate 5, forcing the closure of the stretch for a time, according to San Diego police.
A follow-up storm is due to arrive in the county early Friday morning and continue through early afternoon. Over the period, coastal areas will receive no more than a few tenths of an inch of rain, while mountain locales may get up to a half-inch, meteorologist Jamie Moker said. The pattern will likely bring gusty mountain winds up to 45 mph, he said.
An even weaker unstable system is expected to make its way over the region late Saturday, delivering several more hours' worth of mild precipitation.
Forecasters expect a dry and warming trend beginning Sunday and continuing through next workweek.
