The first of two Pacific storms was drenching much of San Diego County Tuesday afternoon and was expected to last until about 9 p.m., when partial clearing is expected before a much stronger system arrives late Wednesday night, the National Weather Service said.
By the time the current system clears to the east early Wednesday, San Diego will have received roughly half an inch of precipitation, with twice as much falling in many areas east of Interstate 15.
Light snow was falling in the mountains Tuesday afternoon, but heavy accumulations are not expected.
Forecasters caution that thunderstorms could erupt west of the mountains Tuesday afternoon and evening.
The storm that will follow on Wednesday night and Thursday could drop twice as much rain as the first system, along with 2 to 3 inches of snow in the mountains.
The second system also will produce strong winds, with gusts upwards of 30 mph at the coast and inland. Thunderstorms are also possible.
“This will be beneficial rain, but we’ll still have a deficit by the weekend,” said Casey Oswant. “And it’s going to be hard to catch up with seasonal levels, because we don’t tend to get much rain when we move into April.”
San Diego has recorded 2.12 inches of precipitation since the rainy season began on Oct. 1. That’s almost 5 inches below average.
The second storm also will have another impact — one that people won’t like. Forecasters say skies will remain shrouded by clouds through late Thursday night, likely preventing the public from seeing a total lunar eclipse that will begin to unfold at 8:57 p.m. Thursday.
