More Rain Hits Saturated San Diego County

The second of two back-to-back storms hit the San Diego area Wednesday, bringing more heavy showers, mountain snow and some flashes of lightning.

Moderate to heavy rainfall began dousing the county in the predawn hours, adding to significant amounts of moisture that fell across the region Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

By late morning, when the unsettled atmospheric system was beginning to break up, some East County locations had gotten well over an inch of rain, the agency reported. Also, light snowfall had whitened some highland spots, including Mount Laguna and Palomar Mountain, which both received about a half- inch of frozen white flakes.

The weather service issued a winter-weather advisory for the region's highest elevations, where snow and ice were expected to make driving hazardous. Authorities urged motorists to carry chains if traveling in those locales and to take extra food and clothing just in case.

Mariners, meanwhile, were cautioned to watch for dangerous wind speeds and wave conditions off the coast. A small-craft ocean advisory was in effect into the evening.

The wet conditions led to some typical rainy-day woes on the county's roadways. Between midnight and 8 a.m., the California Highway Patrol logged 105 crashes. By comparison, the agency generally responds to 50-75 accidents over a full 24 hours of dry weather.

Scattered showers were expected to continue through the afternoon in some areas, followed by reduced chances of precipitation overnight and Thursday morning, particularly in the inland valleys and mountains.

Dry climate and partly cloudy skies should prevail Friday and through the weekend, according to meteorologists.