The second and stronger of two cool, windy autumn storms to hit the San Diego area this week doused the region with steadily intensifying cloudbursts today.
The unsettled system out of the Gulf of Alaska began letting loose with showers in the northern reaches of the county in the late morning, according to the National Weather Service.
The rain increased in strength while moving to the south through the day, though most coastal and valley communities had gotten only a few hundredths of an inch of moisture by early evening.
Some highland spots, however, received substantially more precipitation as the storm picked up steam, the NWS reported. Over a six-hour period ending at 5 p.m., the dark clouds dropped 0.83 of an inch at Palomar Observatory; 0.35 in Julian; 0.27 at Lake Henshaw; 0.26 in Santa Ysabel; 0.2 at Cuyamaca Reservoir; 0.19 in Descanso; and 0.16 at Wohlford Dam.
The heaviest downpours were expected to soak the region later this evening, accompanied by a high-wind advisory set to remain in effect through 11 p.m., said meteorologist Brandt Maxwell.
The showers should start weakening early Thursday morning, becoming light and scattered by afternoon or evening, forecasters predicted.
All told, the blustery storm will likely leave behind rain totals of one-quarter to one-half an inch along the coast and in the inland valleys, and 1.5 to 2 inches in mountain locales, according to Maxwell.
Following a partly cloudy morning Friday, sunny, dry and warmer conditions are due to settle in across the region, making for a pleasantly temperate weekend, according to the weather service.
