Blustery storm brings downpours, hail, snow to San Diego region

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A cold and blustery storm doused the San Diego area with widespread precipitation today, bringing anywhere from a few hundredths of an inch to nearly an inch of moisture across the region.

The heaviest rains out of the fast-moving unsettled atmospheric system hit in the late morning and afternoon, accompanied at times by lightning and hail, according to the National Weather Service.

Pea-sized pellets of ice pelted various communities, with some up to a half-inch in diameter covering the ground in parts of Murphy Canyon, the agency reported.

Some of the stronger cloudbursts led to scattered roadway flooding, including on westbound Interstate 8 at Qualcomm Way in Mission Valley and along Kempton Street, just north of Jamacha Boulevard in Spring Valley, authorities said.

The highest rainfall tallies as of 4 p.m., according to the included 0.98 of an inch on Mount Woodson and in University Heights; 0.9 at Montgomery

Field airport in Kearny Mesa; 0.86 in La Mesa; 0.77 at Miramar Lake; and 0.66 at Camp Pendleton and in Mission Valley.

Other totals included 0.63 of an inch in San Ysidro; 0.6 in Lemon Grove and Oceanside; 0.59 in Alpine and at Lake Murray; 0.57 at Lindbergh Field and in Point Loma; 0.55 in Barona and Pine Hills; 0.54 in Linda Vista; 0.51 in Santee; 0.49 in Flinn Springs; 0.48 in San Onofre; 0.43 in Fallbrook; 0.41 in Santa Ysabel; 0.38 in Granite Hills; 0.37 at SeaWorld; 0.36 in La Jolla; 0.35 in Mission Beach and Smuggler's Gulch; 0.33 in Julian; 0.31 in Vista; 0.28 in Carlsbad; 0.23 in Encinitas; 0.22 in Pine Valley and Rancho Bernardo; 0.18 in San Marcos; 0.16 in Escondido and Valley Center; 0.08 in Del Mar; 0.04 in Ocotillo Wells; and 0.03 in Borrego Springs.

The storm also produced some mountain snows — 2 inches accumulated on Birch Hill — along with stiff winds gusting up to around 40 mph in coast

communities, the inland valleys and deserts; and as high as 87 mph in the East County highlands (on Mount Laguna).

Scattered showers were expected to continue into the evening before petering out overnight, making way for warmer and dry conditions Thursday and Friday followed by a cool, breezy weekend, forecasters said.

The next chance for local showers will arrive Tuesday and possibly continue through the middle of next week, according to the weather service.