Tropical Storm Hilary produced some of the heaviest rains ever recorded across San Diego County in August, especially at Mount Laguna, which received 7.11 inches of precipitation while Palomar Mountain got 6.60 inches.
And the storm followed an unusually wet winter. But the combo doesn’t mean the region will not experience a robust wildfire season.
“The rain we received on the Cleveland National Forest was extremely helpful in mitigating our dry fuels and fire threat for the short term,” Forest Service Battalion Chief Talbot Hayes told the Union-Tribune.
“Unfortunately, the effects of this rain will dry out in the very near future and we will be right back into fire season. With the threat of wildfires starting back up in the coming days, it will not allow us to start with our prescribed burning just yet.”
Hayes said prescribed burns may pick back up in the fall, when the region tends to get cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity. He also pointed to other ways to treat fuel year-round without the use of fire, such as the goats who graze vegetation in the Descanso area.
Hilary arrived in central San Diego County around 2:30 p.m. Sunday, packing tropical storm-force winds. It soon curved toward the Inland Empire, then veered toward Compton in Los Angeles County, the National Weather Service said.
The storm dropped 1.82 inches of rain at San Diego International Airport, raising the site’s seasonal total to 15.71 inches, which is more than 6 inches above average. The season extends from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.
Before Hilary arrived, the weather service predicted that Hilary would produce about 1.5 inches to 2 inches of rain at and near the coast, 2 to 3 inches across most inland valleys and foothills, 3 to 5 inches at Julian, 5 to 10 inches in the mountains, and 5 inches or more in the deserts. The forecast proved to be spot on, except for the deserts.
Here is a sample of how much rain the system brought to a wide area of the county over the weekend:
Lake Wohlford: 3.52 inches
Julian: 3.47 inches
Otay Mountain: 3.36 inches
Fallbrook: 3.08 inches
Mt. Woodson: 2.92 inches
Skyline Ranch: 2.88 inches
Santee: 2.70 inches
Escondido: 2.68 inches
San Marcos: 2.66. inches
Miramar Lake: 2.55 inches
Carlsbad: 2.50 inches
Henshaw Dam: 2.34 inches
National City: 2.29 inches
Fashion Valley: 2.22 inches
Oceanside: 2.20 inches
Montgomery Field: 2.16 inches
Encinitas: 2.14 inches
Kearny Mesa: 2.14 inches
Bonsall: 2.14 inches
Vista: 2.12 inches
Poway: 2.09 inches
La Mesa: 2.05 inches
Ramona: 2.03 inches
Borrego Springs: 2.01 inches
San Onofre: 1.94 inches
Point Loma: 1.73 inches
Pine Valley: 1.65 inches
Valley Center: 1.62 inches
Ocotillo Wells: 1.55 inches
Chula Vista: 1.43 inches
Brown Field: 1.41 inches
