Rivers and flood channels are again flowing hard across San Diego County after a new Pacific storm moved through the region before dawn Thursday, bringing a fifth straight day of precipitation.
Fallbrook got hit especially hard, receiving 0.67 inches of rain, pushing the city’s five-day total to 5.19 inches, the National Weather Service said. Oceanside recorded 0.42 inches, pushing its total to 4.14 inches.
San Diego International Airport received 0.22 inches of rain, lifting its total this week to 2.61 inches. The city has received about 8.25 inches since the rainy season began on Oct. 1. The airport averages 9.79 inches during the season, which will end on Sept. 30.
Forecasters say it is possible San Diego will come close to the 9.79-inch mark by Saturday because showers are expected to fall on and off for the next couple of days.
What forecasters dub the rainy season — also known as the water year — begins on Oct. 1 each year and ends on Sept. 30 of the following year. This time frame was created long ago by the federal government to make sure that total precipitation for a one-year period captures winter snowfall as well as summer rain, which is more common in other areas of the country.
The system also is dropping a lot of snow. The weather service said the Julian area likely got about 3 inches while the upper reaches of of Palomar Mountain and Mount Laguna are nearing 1 foot.
The California Highway Patrol is requiring chains for drivers east of Warner Springs near Montezuma Valley Road and San Felipe Road.
“We won’t have a blue sky day until Sunday,” said John Suk, meteorologist in charge of the weather service office in San Diego.
The county was hit hard late Tuesday night and Wednesday by an earlier and more powerful Pacific storm. That system produced a brief and wild downpour of hail around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday in Otay Ranch and nearby areas.
The Marines were investigating whether rough weather contributed to the crash of a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter late Tuesday night east of San Diego. The bodies of the five Marines aboard have since been discovered, the Marines said Thursday morning.
It’s been a memorable week of weather.
Earlier Tuesday, a tornado alert was issued in parts of South County and East County, startling many people in an area where such a threat is rare.
Elephant could not be happier with the wet weatherThe series of storms that have pummeled the region since Jan. 22 have claimed another victim: A man was found dead in Forester Creek in Santee on Tuesday.
The Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Wednesday that his death was storm-related. His name was not released, and it was not clear when he died.
He is the third person known to have died in the rains over the last two weeks. A 67-year-old man died in a vehicle crash last month, and a 61-year-old West African man drowned Tuesday in the Tijuana River while trying to enter the United States.
Two other deaths are suspected to be storm-related. Both victims were found in Santee following the explosive Jan. 22 storm: a still-unidentified woman found in Forester Creek, and a 48-year-old man whose precise location authorities have not disclosed.
Also on Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom asked President Joe Biden to declare a major disaster from last month’s destructive flooding. That would grant the region access to federal aid to help people recover.
According to the request, more than 800 homes — many in underserved communities where flood insurance coverage is low — were damaged in the Jan. 22 storm. County officials have said separately that the flooding cost the region more than $100 million alone in emergency response expenses and damage to public infrastructure.
Wednesday’s weather produced starkly different effects across the county.
The approach of a snow storm led to the declaration of a snow day Wednesday and Thursday in Julian Union Elementary School District, Julian Union High School District, Mountain Empire Unified School District, Spencer Valley School District and Warner Unified School District.
By the time the snow days were announced, enormous amounts of snow had fallen farther away, in Southern Californian mountains associated with skiing. Mount Baldy reported more than 3 feet of snow, while Mountain High said it got 38 inches and Big Bear said it got 27 inches.
The scene was far different at Dog Beach in Del Mar, where a break in the clouds led volleyball players to take to the nets as waves rising to 7 feet crashed ashore.
Union-Tribune staff writers Teri Figueroa, Lyndsay Winkley and Caleb Lunetta contributed to this report.
