A low-pressure atmospheric system moving over California brought light rainfall and whipping winds to the San Diego area today. The showers, which began dousing the county in the early morning, were expected to continue into Tuesday before dwindling and petering out, meteorologists said.
Precipitation totals were expected to range from a few hundredths of an inch in the deserts to several tenths of an inch along the coast and in the inland valleys, and more than an inch in the mountains.
As of early this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service, the gray skies had dropped 0.38 of an inch of rain at Birch Hill; 0.34 on Mount Laguna; 0.27 in Julian and at Lake Cuyamaca; 0.26 in De Luz; 0.2 in Pine Hills and on Volcan Mountain; 0.18 at Palomar Observatory; 0.16 in Mesa Grande and Warner Springs; 0.15 in Fallbrook and Santa Ysabel; 0.09 in Pine Valley, San Onofre and Vista; 0.08 at Henshaw Dam; 0.07 in Bonsall; 0.05 in Descanso, Ranchita and Mount Woodson; and 0.01 in Carlsbad, Del Mar, Mission Beach and San Marcos.
A wind advisory for the mountains and deserts was slated to remain in effect until 10 p.m. Tuesday. Sustained air currents of 35 to 50 mph were expected in most areas until then, with gusts up to 75 mph along mountain ridges and desert slopes.
The rain and winds are expected to taper off Tuesday night. A return of high-pressure conditions will bring fair and warmer weather Wednesday and Thursday in advance of another storm that may deliver more rain Friday and over the weekend, forecasters advised.
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