San Diegans were bracing themselves Thursday for a third and final storm system forecasted to bring widespread rain and winds throughout the county, with showers expecting to diminish overnight, while stronger gusts should calm down by Friday morning.
Forecasters said a main concern was gusty and "potentially damaging" west winds along the mountain crests and adjacent desert slopes. A wind advisory will remain in effect until at least 2 a.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
"Light to moderate rain is expected Thursday. Ponding of water on roads and minor street flooding in urban areas possible. Thunderstorms may bring locally heavy rain, stronger winds and small hail," weather officials said.
An additional 3 to 8 inches of snow was expected for county mountains Thursday into Friday morning. Strong winds may result in blowing snow and limited visibility, with levels as low as 3500 to 4000 feet.
As of midweek, the bands of dark clouds had delivered moisture amounts ranging from just over a tenth of an inch to nearly six inches across the county, the NWS reported.
During a 72-hour span ending at 10 a.m. Wednesday, according to the NWS, the unsettled atmospheric system dropped 5.89 inches of precipitation at Lake Cuyamaca; 4.78 in Julian; 4.66 in Pine Hills; 4.5 in Julian; 4.03 at Henshaw Dam; 3.93 on Birch Hill and Volcan Mountain; 3.75 at Palomar Observatory; 3.44 in Mesa Grande; 3.41 in Pine Valley; 3.11 in Skyline Ranch; 3.1 in Oak Grove; 3.08 in Santa Ysabel; and 3.02 in Descanso.
Other tallies from the period include 2.88 inches in Harbison Canyon; 2.86 in Alpine; 2.7 on Mount Woodson; 2.67 at Lake Wohlford; 2.61 on Otay Mountain and in Barona, Ramona and Valley Center; 2.52 on Dulzura Summit; 2.41 in Flinn Springs; 2.26 in Escondido; 2.25 in Rincon Springs; 2.22 on Mount Laguna and in Ranchita; 2.21 in Warner Springs; 2.16 in San Diego Country Estates; 2.15 at Cactus County Park; 2.13 at Miramar Lake; 2.11 on Mount Laguna; 2.08 in Poway; 2.06 in Goose Valley and Granite Hills; and 2.02 at Rainbow Camp.
Also among the local three-day rainfall totals were 1.98 inches in La Mesa; 1.96 in Santee; 1.93 in Campo; 1.88 in Rancho Bernardo; 1.86 in Kearny Mesa; 1.84 in Tierra Del Sol; 1.74 in Miramar; 1.7 in Carlsbad; 1.63 in Bonsall; 1.61 in San Marcos; 1.59 in Couser Canyon; 1.57 at Brown Field Municipal Airport and in San Felipe; 1.39 in Mission Valley; 1.38 in Vista; 1.36 in San Onofre; 1.35 in Las Flores; 1.23 at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport; 1.16 at San Diego International Airport; 1.14 in National City; 1.03 in Point Loma; 1.01 in Oceanside; 0.75 at Naval Air Station North Island; 0.52 in Borrego Springs; 0.28 in Canebrake; 0.22 in Agua Caliente; and 0.14 in Ocotillo Wells.
Along with the ongoing rounds of rain and snow, the storm on early Wednesday whipped up winds reaching 76 mph in the mountains (4:08 a.m., Birch Hill); 80 mph in the inland valleys (3:30 a.m., El Cajon Mountain); 52 mph in the desert (5:40 a.m., In-Ko-Pah area); and 49 mph along the coast (3:51 a.m., Oceanside Municipal Airport).
Friday through Monday will be warmer and drier with high temperatures climbing to about five degrees above average, the weather service reported.
