Unseasonably rainy weather swept through San Diego County Monday from the first of two storm systems expected to bring off-and-on showers, gusty winds and choppy waters to the region at least through the work-week.
The band of showers brought scattered but at times heavy showers as it moved inland across San Diego County. Downpours started overnight along the coast and affected the inland valleys and mountains before sunrise.
By noon Monday, coastal areas had already receieved up to half-inch of rain and the some of the valleys had received more than three-quarters-of-an-inch.
The mountains had received significant rainfall by noon. Palomar saw nearly an inch-and-three-quarters and Julian saw about one-and-a-half inches. According to the NWS, some Southern California mountains with elevations above 6,000 feet saw up to two inches of slushy snow.
Just before midday, some pockets were bringing showers across Interstate 15 and the El Cajon area but they were getting smaller as the day went on, NBC 7 Meteorologist Sheena Parveen said.
"The afternoon will be a lot drier than the morning, still could see a stray shower," she said.
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Winds will be a bigger problem as Monday progresses, Parveen said.
A wind advisory was issued until 11 p.m. Tuesday for San Diego's mountains and deserts. During that period, winds are expected to average 25 to 35 miles per hour with some gusts reaching 65 mph. The NWS warned strong winds may make driving difficult.
The storm was also churning coastal waters. The NWS issued a beach hazards statement through 9 a.m. Tuesday due to high surf and dangerous rip currents. Some waves may reach up to 7 feet, especially in southern San Diego County, the NWS said.
A similar weather pattern -- overnight and early morning showers with dry but cool and cloudy conditions in the afternoon -- is expected to continue through the work-week, Parveen said.
The heavy May showers are unusual for San Diego at this time of year of according to forecasters.
Before this most recent storm system, San Diego had already received nearly four times more rain in the first half of May 2019 than it usually does throughout the entire month.
The rare systems are due to upper air patterns that allow for multiple cold fronts to sweep through the area with enough moisutre and instability for continous showers, the NWS said.
